And They're Off

Ps 136:26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

The Great Investment is underway. I’m so excited about what God is doing!

I know you all want to know where we are on our commitments, but I can’t tell you yet. We have more come in every day. On any given weekend there are thousands of people who are a part of Parkview who weren't able to come. So we will be taking cards again this weekend and through the month. We’ll make the announcement in early April.

It’s going very well... God is faithful. And so is Parkview. I’m hearing so many great stories about what God is doing in the lives of people who are stretching their faith. So many stories of sacrifice. I’m truly humbled to be your leader. It’s amazing!

Now at the same time – be watchful for Satan and his attacks. He does not like this. I’m honestly shocked that the stock market rebounded so much so soon. I would have guessed the opposite. The more likely scenario is that of my friend on staff whose oven died and his “check engine” light came on – the day after they made the largest pledge of their lives. If you don’t know by now that Satan is the prince of all appliances, automobiles, computers, and pretty much anything with an on\off button – NOW YOU KNOW.

Satan does not like what we are doing. He will mess with you. But, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (I John 4:4) God is going to do amazing things through the seeds we have sown. The light is going to shine brightly from 183rd and Wolf Road. Everywhere I go, people are talking about the service and how emotional it was. It’s just the beginning, my friends.

So the “First fruits” offering starts this weekend. Do everything you can to give everything you can up front. We need to get rolling. We have estimates in on the Lockport campus. We need to close on the property. We go before the Orland board soon for approval on the parking. We need to start moving on these projects. Whatever you can do, do it now.

Easter is coming! Please go online and MAKE YOUR E-RESERVATIONS for one of our 6 services. We need to have you get reservations so we can know how to spread people out. Please try to come at 8 or 12 on Sunday if you can and avoid the 10. And get out there and invite some people. We will have room, somehow, some way – we will make it happen. Invite those people who need to hear about how to get to heaven. That’s what Easter is all about.

Don’t miss this weekend. We have to have Good Friday on Palm Sunday, because we have Easter on Good Friday :-) So this weekend we will focus on the death of Christ on the cross and what that meant to us. We will have a dramatization and some country music and you just don’t want to miss this one!

Let me say again. I’M PROUD OF YOU. I’m proud to be your Pastor. WE ARE PARKVIEW!

TIM

Comments

[We Are...Penn State email list]

"Be watchful for Satan and his attacks. He does not like this. I’m honestly shocked that the stock market rebounded so much so soon. I would have guessed the opposite."

I've got to question the theology of Satan causing bubbles and subsequent bear markets. (In the interest of full disclosure, I became concerned about the unwinding of the housing bubble quite some time ago and moved our entire investment portfolio out of the stock market and into cash.)

Was Satan asleep during the Time to Grow campaign, during which the stock market climbed steadily?

More importantly, I don't believe raising the money for our new expansion is dependent on a rising stock market. During the building campaign that transformed Tinley Park Christian Church into Parkview Christian Church, the stock market got crushed. (Down almost 50% on the S&P 500 and more than 75% on Nasdaq.) And yet, here we are at 183rd and Wolf Road.

Parkview is filled with many smart, successful, creative entrepreneurs who can and do create wealth regardless of economic conditions. The fruits of their efforts will fund our new building. For that matter, Parkview itself excels at creating wealth.

(Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying by confusing wealth with money. Money is a medium of exchange. Wealth is the fulfillment of people's desires.)

Entrepreneurs frequently get paid money for creating wealth. Parkview gets "paid" for creating wealth by bringing an ever-increasing number of people through our doors. In the case of Parkview, we fulfill people's desires to have a deep, meaningful, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, their desires to be part of a community of like-minded believers, and their desires that their kids have a safe, fun atmosphere to learn the Truth of the Good News.

I believe the stock market is going to get worse--much worse--before it gets better. But I also know God will provide the financial resources to continue our work of ministering to our congregation while reaching the lost of the Southwest suburbs...and beyond!