Here is his story:

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

Please continue to pray for his wife Mandy, you can follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/mandysmith381

you can also read Zac’s blog follow his amazing Journey here: hello-righton.com

Nashville received around 15 inches of rain in a 24 hour period and the rivers could not handle it. The situation is intense and desperate as MOST people living in that area did NOT have flood insurance.

We have an opportunity to step up and make a difference.  We are partnering with Pastor Pete Wilson and Crosspoint Church in Nashville, TN.  They are in the middle of the mess and they will be there long after relief crews have left. I don’t believe there is a better mission to partner with.

THIS Sunday we will be taking up our regular Sunday Offering, and 10% of the tithes and offerings received will be sent to Crosspoint Church in Nashville to go DIRECTLY to the relief effort in that area.

Here is how the money is going to be used:

• To help people repair their homes (HUNDREDS of people lost everything!)
• To purchase equipment to assist with the relief efforts
• To purchase supplies such as water and food (all but one water treatment plant has been shut down!)
• To feed people

Those are just SOME of the things…

This is our moment to link arms with other believers to serve the broken and hurting. I’m counting on you Crosspoint Church in Spring Hill, FL to give and to give big! Let’s let our lights shine bright in the midst of this dark situation. Pray hard and give big!

Check out this video of Ben’s story.

And for the record, I LOVE the Yankees, but I really do like the Rays too… you see, since they are in the same division that means I have twice the opportunity to watch them whoop up on the Boston Red Sox.  It’s a WIN-WIN situation for me.

Last week, Paul Castelli, Brad Klausman, and I went off to the Exponential Church Planters Conference.  It was a very encouraging and motivating experience and as always, I love to walk away with some nuggets of inspiration.  Here are a few that I jotted down:

We have to move from passive/spectator Christianity to active disciple-making Christianity. – Ed Stetzer

I just want to be your kid again, God. Wash me of thinking I have become something. – Francis Chan

‘If we’re not hanging out with broken, ‘iffy’ people then how can we say we are becoming like jesus?” – Alan Hirsch

Working for Jesus should not replace knowing and loving Jesus. – Matt Chandler

“We must remember that God has already been at work way before us”. – Matt Chandler

“You cannot expect people to be what you are not. That makes you a frustrated hypocrite.” – Matt Chandler

There are too many people in our churches for it to not be messy. – Matt Chandler

“Christ first, then His mission. My calling & job is not to be better than Jesus.” – Matt Chandler

“Sometimes God gets in the way to show us the way” – Mark Batterson

God wants you to get where he wants you to go more than you want to get where he wants u to go. – Mark Batterson

It’s never about where you’re going it’s about who you are becoming – Mark Batterson

“If God can use a dumb donkey, he can use you.” ~- Mark Batterson referencing Num. 22:20

“If someone is hurting, then the church should be the first to offer help.” Dino Rizzo

“No matter what at the end of the day, keep loving the people” ~ Dino Rizzo

When you don’t know what to do in your ministry love the people and eventually you’ll find a groove. – Dino Rizzo

“Discipleship and Outreach should be married together.” – Dino Rizzo

Nordstrom has 1 page employee manual: “we hired you for your good judgment. We expect u to exercise it.” – Ken Blanchard

“Seagull managers fly in, make a lot of noise, dump on everybody and fly out!” -Ken Blanchard

“Leadership starts in the heart,are you there to serve or be served. Its not about you” – Ken Blanchard

If I don’t have peace, joy or righteousness I’m detached from The Vine – Ken Blanchard

“what types of leaders would we be if we heard the voice of the Lord and did not obey?” – Lisa Chan

The presence of the Spirit in our life is seen when we suffer, sacrifice and give up all for Him. Francis Chan

Often our mind is more consumed with our retirement plan and our stocks than the eternal – Francis Chan

The music is courtesy of Matt and Joanna Black.  Check out their website at MattAndJoannaBlack.com

PCY Project February 2010 from Crosspoint Church on Vimeo.

It’s another opportunity to share God’s love in a practical way.

The love of God sometimes isn’t practical though… Sometimes it’s weird. If “I” was God, I’m not so sure I would should up as a tiny baby. So fragile, so defenseless, so… “babyish”.

Instead of a throne, He got a manger. Instead of a castle, our King got a stable. Sometimes LOVE comes in a form where you least expect it.

Tomorrow on Christmas Eve, who are you bringing? Who have you been praying for who is going to meet face to face with a savior you’d never suspect?

See you tomorrow!

Water of Life is an organization dedicated to providing access to clean water to those in need while offering the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A non-profit organization based in Greenville, South Carolina, WOL has been sending mission teams around the world into different countries for years.

We will be adopting the village of Boiwalah in Liberia, Africa.  The money we raise will be used to build a well that feeds into Boiwalah and 3 other villages.

Find out more about them at GiveFreshWater.org
and you can follow them on Twitter and Facebook

For the second year, Crosspoint Church is participating in the HALLOWEENIE ROAST!  The Halloweenie Roast is an outreach designed for parents of kids who are trick or treating.  Since kids are the ones who get all of the goodies on the 31st, we decided that this was a huge opportunity to serve parents who are being dragged up and down the street by their kids in their pursuit of candy.

We’ve encouraged everyone here at Crosspoint to set-up their grills in their front lawn and offer Free Hotdogs and drinks to moms and dads in the community.  It’s a simple way of saying “God Loves You” to parents during this night that usually focuses on the kids.

If you are interested in how the Halloweenie Roast works, here’s the video we sent out to all of the Small Group Leaders who are facilitating the event:

Halloweenie Roast Prep Video from Crosspoint Church on Vimeo.

“You are the BEST pastor I’ve ever had.” I was floored! This was such a touching letter from one of the children at our church and it made my heart warm. As I wiped the tear from my eye, I looked down to see the information portion of the letter, it was a special box for the school administration to read so that they would know where to send these heartfelt tokens of appreciation. And this is what I saw:

PASTOR BECKY!! This letter wasn’t for me at all… it was actually for Becky Russ, a leader in our Crosspoint Kids Ministry. Becky is a faithful volunteer at Crosspoint in many areas, but the impact that she is making in our Crosspoint Kids Ministry will be felt for generations

I’ve had the privilege of seeing what happens at Crosspoint Kids and I wish EVERY one on that team could get a letter like this. The Crosspoint Kids Ministry Team works hard to provide a safe & secure place for kids to grow and connect with God! I appreciate all of them, and I couldn’t imagine what Crosspoint would be without them all.

(Especially PASTOR BECKY!)

Every semester Crosspoint Small Groups head up a couple of outreach projects and at each of those projects we’ll have some folks who are unconnected take part as well.  Here’s a Top 5 on the best ways to maximize small group outreach projects as a small group facilitator:

1. Be an inviter - Your small group should never be exclusive, so these projects are another way to invite people to be a part of your group who might not have felt comfortable at someone else’s home at first.  Outreach projects at the part are typically a great first time invite. (see BONUS down at the bottom)

2. Recognize the first timers – Before you begin, find out who has never participated in this type of project before.  Don’t think that just because you have drop off donuts a few times before that everyone knows how to do it or how to even explain what they are doing with others.  Thank the folks who are there for the first time and share instructions with everyone to put them at ease.

3. Contact AND Follow-Up - This is simple, a phone call reminder the day before and a thank you call the day after will go a long, long way!

4. Celebrate successes and admit failures – Take some time during your small group meetings to share the successes you have had serving others, it will help folks look forward to their time of serving.  And while you’re at it, let them know about some of the failures you’ve had.  Some reason hearing that you’ve already received some “no thank you’s” or “get outta heres!” will help put people at ease.

5. Debrief – Talk about your time of serving.  Let people share their own stories, how they felt, and what they were thinking.  It’s also a great opportunity to share some vision about why we do what we do.

BONUS: Make a day of it! – Outreach doesn’t have to just be an “In and Out” experience.  Take the opportunity to serve and play with your Small Group.  Some of the best experiences as a community come when you spend some time serving the park that you will later hang out in.  So hand out some waters, and then huddle up under a pavilion for a group picnic.

This isn’t a top 5 about guaranteed results, this is all about making the experience a memorable and life-changing event not just for those who get served, but also for those who are serving!