Mistakes, Invitations, and Land

Here is my column for Sunday morning.

At the 9:00 worship service last week…I made a mistake. I mentioned the United States budget deficit was about 1.1 billion dollars. And I was correct, according to an economist friend of mine…if the year was 1954. The number is actually 1.1 trillion dollars. I made the mistake intentionally to see if the people at 9:00 were listening. Wait a moment, pastors aren’t supposed to lie, are they? The mistake was three zeros and a few letters of the alphabet, but the point is still the same: It is not a good idea to fund today’s lifestyle with tomorrow’s resources.

Ever wonder what a trillion pennies looks like?

Speaking of inviting people to worship…Here are some easy, non-threatening ways to invite others to worship with us.

• Update your Facebook status that you are worshipping at Millard West High School on Sunday morning. Encourage local people to join you. Type in our web site, http://www.watersedgeomaha.com/, so people can learn a little bit about what to expect before they come.
• Give a CD or a DVD of a recent sermon or our original songs to a friend or co-worker. Encourage them to listen and worship with us.
• Give one of our spiffy invitation postcards (they are at the Connection’s Area) or worship bulletins to people you know. Invite them to worship with you some Sunday morning.
• Now that the ground is soggy again, stick a yard sign in your front yard. I’m always amazed how many people start coming because of yard signs. You can find them at the Connection’s Area.
• Send an eVite (found on the home page of http://www.watersedgeomaha.com/) to friends. They will get a cool email inviting them to worship.

The question I’m asked most often… “Dad, do I have to go to bed?” The second question I get most often is, “When are we going to build a building?” I don’t know the exact answer to that question. The Church Council in January created a team to begin evaluating properties for a permanent facility. The team of leaders has met three times with a commercial real estate company to discuss available properties between Harrison and Pacific Streets and 168th and 204th Streets. We will keep you informed of any developments and welcome any feedback.

The best is yet to come...

Craig