H. Henry Williams

Thursday Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

This weekend I’ll be talking about how to fortify your faith. I hope you can join us.

At the 9:15am service I forgot to show the cup we gave the Set-up and Take-down crew when we moved to our building. It reads, “If you set up, they will come.” Good times!

Here's the sermon from last weekend in 10 tweets: "FOR [ God gave ] – God’s Sacrifice, our Sacrifice (John 3:16; 1 Chron. 21:24; Mk 12:41-44; 2 Cor 8:1-5):

1. Genuine love is not a superficial emotion; love is sacrificial action.
2. Helen Simmons had to taste the sacrifice.
3. King David: “I will not offer a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”
4. Jesus doesn’t see the penny the poor widow gave; he sees the sacrifice & says she gave more than anyone.
5. The Macedonians gave abundantly, sacrificially & joyfully in spite of their poverty and hardships.
6. “For the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross…” Love is joyful sacrificial action.
7. Over 100K people within a reasonable driving distance of our campus are unchurched and far from God.
8. Are you treating the bride of Christ like a consumer product? Are you acting like a consumer or co-owner? You are the church.
9. 19 missionary families, 520K meals, 438 Thanksgiving bags, 4009 diapers, 180 backpacks, $192K Impact budget, $80k FMSC
10. Hector Dalton: “We’ve learned that in order to grow your faith you have to step out in faith.”

Looking forward to seeing you on the weekend!

Blessings, Pastor Henry

Wednesday Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

Another great weekend last weekend, the second in our campaign series. I received this email after the sermon:

I just wanted to thank you for your message this weekend.  It always seems “touchy” to talk about what God wants us to do with the money that He has provided for us. 

It is touchy for several reasons. Really, two primary reasons:

• Some people have had a really bad experience with a church when it comes to money. I’ve heard some horror stories. I truly hate the fact that any words about money that come out of my mouth automatically pass through that filter in many people’s minds. Many pastors avoid the subject altogether for that very reason.
• Everyone has made an idol out of money. Everyone! And woe to the pastor who challenges an idol!

But I’m willing to talk about money for several reasons:

• God’s Word addresses the topic and I’m a committed Bible teacher.
• We need to confront our idols.
• If I didn’t talk about money, I’d be committing pastoral malpractice. It would be like a doctor not talking about heart disease because some people get angry.
• People will leave a church based on whether or not you talk about money. If you talk about it, some people leave and they are always people who don’t give and don’t want to give. If you don’t talk about what the Bible says about money and giving, the givers are discouraged because you are not affirming their obedience on this issue. They feel alone. Some of those people leave. So, if you love God and his Word and the mission of his church, which group would you prefer leave? It’s a choice. I choose to affirm givers and teach the Word on giving.
• Lois and I are one of the lead giving families in this church. And we've been committed to giving and tithing all of our married life, even when we had two small kids and very, very little income. I’m not asking anyone to do something I don’t practice myself.

All that said, I don’t like it when people leave. I want them to grow. And I want what’s best for them. So I weigh every single word carefully and ask for feedback regularly. In fact, I have read and will read every sermon in this series to a group of four or more other people for feedback before I preach. It’s made my sermons better. But no matter what I do or how careful I am, people have filters or hold tightly to their idols even to their own detriment. And some will leave.

So I’ll keep preaching it, and I’ll leave the results to God.

Blessings, Pastor Henry

Monday Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

I have a few things I want share with you today:

#1- It was fun having Henry Michael and his wife, Holly, in our second service on Sunday this weekend. I told him how I shared the Distracticon story. He’s the Middle School Director at his church in Louisville and said he has several Distracticons in his ministry right now! Just goes to prove we serve a just God.

#2- I love that so many of us are reading the same devotional each day. And I'm so thankful for all the work put into it my our Group Life writers.

#3- Here’s the video from the weekend. I really appreciated having Hector, our Campaign Chair, share his own story.

[FOR] - Hector Dalton from Five Oaks on Vimeo.

 

#4- Here’s a comment we received from the cards we sent to first-time visitor

I was visiting Five Oaks with family members. I live in Apple Valley, and have a church here.  Wonderful sermon on Sept. 22^nd.  Great facility!

#5- And now for your comments, observations and questions from the weekend Communication Cards.

• Proud to be a part of a church that doesn’t shy away from talking about giving, sacrifice, and obedience. [Thanks to all of you who shared a similar sentiment with me this weekend.]

• Awesome praise team and leader today! 

• Loved the Chris Tomlin! Maybe a little “God’s Great Dance Floor”?? Scott wants to boogie. But, seriously that CD is so great, let’s sing all the songs! 

• Love the music! Love the worship leader! I sincerely hope he’s back next week. [Jeremy did a great job leading, as did the team. Thanks, Amy, for the song you led out on as well.]

• Wow, Tim really does look like that guy from SNL! 

• It’s great to be back to worship with our Five Oaks family.  Mark & Jane Porter

• Thank you for giving us a Bible.

Thanks for all your comments and questions.

Blessings,

Pastor Henry

Wednesday Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

We had a great kick-off to the campaign. I hope you’re all using the FOR devotional. I’d love to hear how your small group discussions are going. I received this from one of our small group leaders:

"Henry, we were out of town this weekend so missed your message.  I was at a disadvantage leading small group not hearing your message.  I caught 15 minutes of it online before small group, but it didn’t matter because my group was so excited to share the message with my wife and I and one another—great discussion! …Keep challenging us, it’s needed and inspiring and motivating behavior."

Here's the sermon in 10 tweets: "FOR [ God so loved ] – God’s Mission, our Mission (multiple Scriptures):

1. God’s love compels us to love the world he so loves.
2. Why did my younger son become a Packer fan? For Leah so loved the Green Bay Packers. It’s funny how love works.
3. 2 Corinthians 5:14 – For Christ’s love compels us… His love is our motivation… tugs on our hearts… propels us…
4. He gave us the ministry of reconciliation and entrusted us the message of reconciliation.
5. We are ambassadors for Christ and he makes his appeal through us.
6. Our mission is to love our children, our neighbor & the world by reaching and equipping them for Christ.
7. Who are your kids emulating and admiring? What patterns are you setting from a young age to get them around people that point them to Christ.
8. “Christ didn’t call us to make Deciders; he called us to make Disciples.” And we’re relentless about it.
9. Our church is a mission outpost. It’s about reaching others with the lover of God, compelled by the love of God.
10. Above all else, God wants to work in your heart so you can represent his heart to a lost and broken world.

Looking forward to seeing you on the weekend!

Blessings, Pastor Henry

Tuesday Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

I’ve got EIGHT things I want to share with you today.

#1 – We’ve got a thriving young adult ministry. One group meets for supper and study on Thursdays and another small group is starting.

#2 – Do you know that we’ve had a pre-marriage mentoring ministry? Thought I’d mention it because we just added another couple to the mentoring team. Everyone who gets married by one of our pastors has to complete the mentoring process with one of the couples from that ministry. Some life-long relationships between mentor and mentee couples have been started through that ministry.

#3 – Youth small groups are starting up for fall. These are like our adult small groups. Even the Jr. High groups that meet on Sunday morning and Saturday night are not drop-in Sunday School classes. Kids have to determine what group they will be in so that they and the relationships in the group can thrive.

#4 – Distracticon’s favorite weekend of the year, when he was in high school, approaches: Camp Getaway. It’s a retreat for junior and senior highers and what a great time and tradition it’s been throughout the years.  

#5 – Did you know we have a mission team opportunity this ministry year to Peru, to work with the Turvey’s (a Five Oaks family that is on mission there now)?

#6 – Ten people are already registered for the Israel trip! That’s a year in advance. A Five Oaks record for early registration.

#7 – The big all-church survey I mentioned in the summer is actually coming soon. We delayed it for several reasons, but when you get it, please take the time to fill it out. It will help make us better at making more and better disciples.

#8 – You guys are doing a great job of encouraging new folks to come down to 10-Minute Connect. That conversation up front is crucial for a guest. It gives us a chance to answer questions, but we also give them a Five Oaks cup and other goodies to remember us, and, most importantly, I am able to share some of our vision for what we do and why we do it the way we do it. It’s SO important and effective. So thanks for all you’re doing to make that a success.

Love you all. Thanks for being such a great church.

Blessings, Pastor Henry

Monday Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

Happy Monday! Vikings won and the Packers didn’t lose, so we can all be happy. Yes, there are bigger and better reasons to be happy, but for us football fans, it’s a lot like people feel when you get a sunny day after a long run of cloudy ones.

I'm very excited about the launch of our campaign series. It really is, ultimately, about re-engaging or re-committing our hears to the mission of reconciliation.

If you missed the sermon this weekend, go here to listen to the message (get it on iTunes) or here to watch. You can print out the small group study here and complete it before attending your small group. You can also pick up the daily devotional at the church office between 9am and 3pm Monday through Thursday.

Here's the faith story from the weekend. Thank you, Dave and Alex!

[FOR] - Dave and Alex Geng from Five Oaks on Vimeo.

Here are most of your comments, observations and questions from the weekend Communication Cards.

• Great faith stories! Powerful message of a powerful Lord. [So thankful for how God has worked in their family. They were happy to be at the Men’s Retreat this weekend. It’s nerve-racking to watch yourself on video talking about your own life.]

• Pastor Henry, thanks for setting the stage in us for God’s mission.

• Amazing faith story!

• Love “deciders” vs. “Disciples”. [It's not original with me, but it's so true!]

• “Come to Me” – beautiful worship!

• Great message Henry! Great job Libby, Kara and Worship Team. [Yes, thank you worship team!]

• Bless you, Geng family! Reinforced how much I love my church! 

• Did you know Tim looks like that guy from SNL?! [Yep. Seth Meyers.] 

• Wow, what a fabulous message, very excited for this series. Thank you.

• Group Life (or church) also needs to have fellowship. Fun things to do as a family and with spouse. More than just study. [Here's a full answer for anyone who has the same question: We have loads of fun together as a church through our small groups. Still some people like yourself wish we did more all-church fun times for families or couples. There are a few reasons we don’t do more. For one, our small groups are so good at this that we don’t get big turnouts when we do. A big turnout isn’t everything, but it’s important when a staff member leads something like this (or oversees volunteers who lead it). They all have more responsibilities on their shoulders than they can actually do in any given week. So a social event needs to have a very strategic purpose. Second, all-church events need to have big appeal (that means they take a lot of time and energy) because most people are too busy to show up for simple potlucks these days, especially with a lot of people they don’t know (unlike small groups where they are doing life together). So, for example, we offer the winter Coffee House night because we think it’s a good thing in the middle of winter as an in-reach event. On the other hand, it has lost money over the last couple of years so we have to reevaluate it. All that said, just because a staff member can’t do it doesn’t mean one of our members can’t organize a social event and then get the word out. It will require several things: (1) Reserving space ahead of time; (2) getting the word out (you may be limited to personal invitations and social media since not all announcements make the cut to be put in the worship program); and (3) paying for an event coordinator if special equipment is needed or the event happens on an evening when the building is not already open (otherwise it’s free). We have a paid event coordinator for groups that want to use the building because staff members don’t have the time to come back in the evening, and we don’t want to burn out volunteers. Of course, an event doesn't have to be held at the church campus. Hope that helps. Email me if you have other questions about this. Thanks for asking.]

Thanks for all your comments and questions

Blessings,

Pastor Henry

Wednesday Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

If you missed the campaign video, here it is. The campaign starts this weekend. We’re launching it because an estimated 20,000 people are moving in within a five-minute drive of our church campus. The campaign is about being ready for them. But, more importantly, it’s about engaging our hearts in our mission. It’s called the FOR [  ] campaign and this video is what it’s all about.

Here's the sermon Tim preached last weekend in 10 tweets: "Teaching the Heart," Titus 2:11-14.

1. How do we help our kids not just do the right things, but want the right things?  How do we help them have a heart for God?
2. In Titus 2:11, the grace of God 1) brings salvation, and 2) trains us.
3. A heart for God must be trained by the grace of God.
4. Our kids need to experience God's grace through us as we teach them.  Not just in John 3:16, but in the 10 Commandments and David/Goliath as well.
5. We're born legalists, from NHL players to kids lining up at school. Our hearts don't respond to the law, but to grace.
6. Our kids need to experience God's grace from us in how we relate to them.
7. Scolding, embarrassing, scaring, or bribing work for a while, but they're the opposite of what Paul is saying trains the heart.
8. Our kids need to experience God's grace at work in us.
9. I don't always know how to practice what I'm preaching. But I don't have to be the expert. God's power is made perfect in my weakness.
10. You can't lead a kid to a place you haven't been. The first step in showing grace to our kids is accepting God's grace in our own lives.

Looking forward to seeing you on the weekend!

Blessings, Pastor Henry

Tuesday Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

I’ve got TEN things I want to share with you today.

#1 – The Journeymen Ministry (our Men’s Ministry) Hearts & Hammers event last weekend wowed everyone involved. Over 40 guys (young and old) painted the house and did the landscaping of someone in need last Saturday and they were done in by 2pm! Amazing. That’s a great testament not only to the men who worked hard and the amount of men who showed up; it’s a testament to the leaders, Scott Halverson and Adam Igl. It’s really hard to coordinate 40 people working all at once like that. Way to go! Check out more pictures the Journeymen website here. Great to see so many dads bring their sons.

#2 – One of our members and small group leaders has been focusing on bringing Christ to his workplace through simple spiritual conversations (applying some of the stuff from the Mission of God series) and now that has morphed into a Bible study at work with about five of his colleagues!  

#3 – The VBS kids raised enough money during VBS to sponsor 4 kids at the orphanage in Haiti and we just received the names and pictures: Judson, Jasmine, Stanley, and Dada (pictured below, in order). For new folks, our church funded and sent teams to build the orphanage in partnership with GVCM, led by Yves Prophet. We still help support the workers wages there each year out of our Impact funds.

#4 – Your small group leaders were in training on Sunday (or the Sunday before). Thank them for taking the time to grow their leadership skills and heart. They are there at small group every week and they are prepared. You bless them when you make small group a priority and come prepared

#5 – I’m experiencing something tonight. Kari Ennulat (First Impressions Director) is holding an Ushers teleconference at 8pm tonight for some training and inspiration. I get to play a small part.

#6 – Fusion (Wednesday evening high school ministry) had their Lumberjack Extravaganza last Wednesday. Here are pictures of some of the leaders gearing up for the party.

#7- We were doing some filming for a campaign video and the videographer used a drone with a super high definition video camera on it. Here are a couple of stills from the shoot. Can’t wait to see the finished product.

#8- The Story of God team is assembled and preparing for the group that starts next Tuesday. If you haven’t yet registered, go here. If you want more information, email me.

#9- The Village Schools of the Bible class had 23 people in it last week! Story of God on steroids.

#10- Campaign devotional books written by Group Life team members arrived today. Distribution this weekend. First day devotional starts on Monday. Don't miss it.

Blessings, Pastor Henry

Monday Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

It was great to have Tim preaching this weekend, especially with this subject. He's in the middle of it all right now, and he has the added perspective of an experienced youth pastor.

Here are most of your comments, observations and questions from the weekend Communication Cards.

• Great teaching – will be watching it MANY times again! Thanks Tim. [I loved it, too!]

• Loved the music – especially “I Need You” – beautiful. [Couldn’t agree more! Many thanks to the worship team.]

• I really think this is the best message I’ve seen Tim give – great delivery Tim!

• Thank you! Great sermon, needed it! 

• Thanks for your honesty regarding your parenting Tim. It’s an encouragement to know that even men of God as you and Pastor Henry have dealt or deal with the struggles of parenting as some of us do.

• Great sermon, Tim! Passion-filled music! Does Dunkin Donuts make gluten-free donuts? Thank you Jesus.

• Love hymns!

• Thank you Henry and Tim for a great series on parenting – things I know we needed to learn and be reminded of. 

• Great message, Tim! For how we treat our kids and all others!

• Great worship set, very surrendering. Tim and Henry, part of great parenting is allowing kids to see our mortality. It doesn’t make them feel as failures when they are parents. Thank God for hourly grace. 

• Tim, loved your real life examples and how your inserted humor throughout the message. It’s reassuring that we don’t have to be experts and you are experiencing the same things we are. [That was Kara’s line about not needing to be experts. And Tim had the wisdom to repeat it.]

• Loved “Lord I Need You” and “How Marvelous” ending! 

• Loved worship today! Many thanks to Legend for helping leading, so inspiring! 

• The string art staging looks awesome. I’m finally sitting in a spot where I can see it all. It’s so cool! Kudos! 

• Wonderful sermon Tim. It’s not about behavior, the real aim is the hart. That happens when we experience God’s grace ourselves, then share it with our kids. Transparency can be frightening, but that’s where transformation by the Holy Spirit occurs. God is so good in spite of our failings.

• Really, really beautiful worship sets. Tim, love how you set-up the message with a quick review of the previous two weeks. Tremendous message Tim, tremendous series. Nice solo. 

• Thank you to all the volunteers who take time out of their busy schedules to serve in the church. Often the volunteers fly under the radar, but are so essential in making thins run smoothly every weekend. [Amen!]

• Thanks for putting the titles of the songs in the worship program.

• Great series! I wish it was longer. [It will be since we’ll come back to it throughout this ministry year. We also have our parenting conference coming up this winter/spring. You’ll hear more about that later.]

• I noticed that the prayer web is gone, too bad. [It will be back. It’s one of the stations we change out.]

• We are moving from Woodbury to Champaign, IL on 10/22/13 and regret having to leave the membership of the church. Blessings. [God bless you as you move in and settle into a new home and community.]

Thanks for all your comments and questions.

Blessings,

Pastor Henry

Wednesday Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

Every Wednesday the Elders meet at 6:30am to pray through all the prayer requests from the weekend. Our Prayer Team and the Staff Leadership also pray through all but the designated Elder requests during the week. I think we received more prayer requests this last weekend than I've ever seen, and I don't know why. But I want you all to know that we are praying for you. And I continue praying through all of them in my own daily quiet time.

Here's the sermon from last weekend in 10 tweets: "The Heart of a Parent," Deuteronomy 6:5-9, Galatians 5:22, Hosea 11.

1. God has no grandchildren. Children have to choose to become Christians. But parents can be the greatest factor in helping them choose God.
2. You lead best when your heart burns brightest for God.
3. “Teach them diligently.” Love God with all your heart. Let his word be on your heart. Then you will teach from your heart.
4. When you lead your kids with a heart that burns brightest for God, you will be a Steward Leader. Your kids ultimately belong to God.
5. It’s not about what you want out of your kids; it’s about seeking what God wants for them.
6. When your heart burns brightest for God, you will be a Joyful Leader. Condoleezza Rice: “No one wants to follow a sour puss.”
7. Joy is a crucial fruit for spiritual leadership. Your faith will be more compelling when your home is marked by fun and laughter.
8. You will a Reflecting Leader. They get a taste of what it means to live under God’s parental leadership.
9. God is not a permissive parent. Every threat of wrath against his wayward children came down on himself on the cross.
10. God’s loving parental leadership took him all the way to the cross. We reflect that love to our kids the more we reflect on his love for us.

This weekend we talk about teaching the heart. Invite a friend who needs to hear about God’s grace.

Blessings, Pastor Henry