Scott Miller Blog :: Good Stuff

Middlebury Food Pantry Needs

Hey guys…just got an email from Pam, who oversees the Middlebury Food Pantry…if you can help, drop these items off at the food Pantry (First Mennonite Church here in Middlebury), or bring them to Pathway and we'll see they receive them…

FOOD PANTRY NEEDS LIST – 5/30/09

We are completely out of, or critically low on the following items:

Cash to buy meat!                Miracle whip

Salt/Pepper                    Coffee                

All soups                    Sugar

All canned veggies            Cooking oil

All fruits                    Pork-N-beans

Baked beans                Diapers (all sizes)

Peanut butter                Baby items

Jelly                        Women's hygiene items

Mustard                    Wipes

Reg oatmeal                Laundry soap

Fabric softener    

Catapult

Catapult: any one of a number of non-handheld mechanical devices used to throw a projectile a great distance without the aid of an explosive substance. (thanks to Wikipedia)

More info on this over the next few weeks…don't you wish you knew…

Megan’s Message

Just spent some time listening to Megan go over her message on parental discipline for tomorrow…is going to be powerful…don't miss it!

Pathway Strategic Missionaries

Just had a conversation via Skype video with Bill Howell…Bill and Linda are one of Pathway's strategic missions partners. They serve with Next Level International. These guys are a little different (a good different…at least Linda is a good different…Bill may be the most different…hah!) than most of our Pathway missionaries in that they lead a missions network, not just one area of ministry. They oversee the whole of the outreach to Europe!

Quick prayer requests for them:

• Staffing…they have 6 regional "positions" they've created (covering Europe) in order to do what they do more effectively. 2 of the 6 regions have a leader, they need 4 more!
• Larger Financial Base…pray that they will be able to effectively share the vision of NLI with other pastors and churches…and that these churches will join in with them financially!

Robby and Tracy Bradford are packing up even as I type…getting ready to head to France permanently in a few days! The container of their stuff is out of here on Saturday I believe! You can visit the website for their new church, The Bridge, here. You should be able to read their latest newsletter here…

Took this picture of Jay last week when I had lunch with him in Fort Wayne. Jay is moving full ahead with their 3^rd church plant in the East St. Louis area…this time, its Hispanic! Check out what's happening with Urban Outreach here.

What I’ve read…Servolution by Dino Rizzo

Great book. Very easy and quick read. For those of you from Pathway – Servolution = Serve Here Serve There. I completely see everything Dino says in this book about how his church has impacted their city, and the world, through serving. Dino and Healing Place Church are where I pray Pathway is in a few years! This book is a great blue print on how to get there!

Churches all over are learning how something as simple as serving can be the very key to reaching your city! From Chad McAtee in North Manchester, IN, to Dino Rizzo in Baton Rouge, LA, it's happening all over!

Matthew 20:28 ²⁸just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Wednesday Laugh

Thoughts for Jon and Kate

Give it up…throw in the towel on the show…walk away from the show…walk away from the money and your "career"…and focus on your marriage…every marriage (mine, yours, all of us) has it's hard seasons – you are in one…tell TLC it's over and get connected with your local church…fast…

 

(thanks for allowing me to get that off of my chest…didn't want any of you to wonder what I really thought about the Gosselin's…)

Keith’s last Monday night

The 365 staff did a great job of throwing a goodbye party for Keith and Lacei last night…one of the gifts was a heaping, and I mean heaping, pile of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Reese's Pieces…

Gino’s East in Mishawaka!

I just heard the most amazing food news…even greater than Red Robin coming to Mishawaka (which I've been to twice now…the first time was a little rough around the edges, but the second time was fine…still think Fuddruckers has the corner on the best burger joint)…

Here's the news - Chicago's famous Gino's East is coming to Michiana!!! It is the world's most amazing deep dish pizza!!!

Marshall King writes about it here…along with an interesting take on Middlebury's own Culinary Treasures…

Pathway Elkhart – Serving There

Pictures from this past weekends serving opportunity for the Elkhart Campus at the Two Rivers Meet Race…Good Stuff!

Pathopolis Opps

A couple of weeks ago, Megan and I took a little time to chat with the church about what's happening in our Pathopolis Kid's Ministry. It's good stuff!

If you'd like to be a part in any way, the opportunity is here! If you're desire is to plug into the Nursery (infants and toddlers) or any of our Kids Church's (from Pre-school all the way up to 5^th grade), bring it on!

Let us know at the church office (office@pathwayag.com) and we'll get you connected with Megan!

(thanks to Rob Smith for the picture)

Living out of His Grace

Was finishing the book of Ephesians today in my devotion time, which caused me to somehow jump over to 2 Timothy 2:1...

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

How many times do I try to live out of the grace of something other than the grace that is in Christ Jesus. I think there have been times when I've tried to pastor out of the grace that is in Scott Miller. There are times I've tried to be a husband living out of the grace that is in Scott Miller. This won't work! I need His grace, His strength, in order to be the man He's called me to be, and function at the level I am capable of functioning at in all areas of life. Anything short of living in His grace will stifle my ability to grow and move forward in any area of leadership He's given me.

Stop for a second and think about the most stressful area of your life right now. Maybe the reason the stress is so heavy is b/c you are trying to do it out of your grace and not His! Your strength and not His!

Just a thought…one last challenge from this passage…

2 Timothy 2:3 Endure hardship with us…LEARN TO PLAY HURT!

Silly Walks

One of my favorite Monty Python clips ever...really...ever...

Basket-Phobia

I ran into an issue the other day. I deal with this issue from time to time. It all revolves around the issue of not having enough items to purchase at the store to warrant a shopping cart. So, there's always "THE BASKET." Why is it I feel so girly when using a basket? Is it just me? Do other men resort to the basket when only picking up a few items?

It was kind of like when I inherited a motor scooter from my sister Julie. If she wanted to have one of those funny looking metal baskets on the back of it, that's fine with me. But if it's mine, the basket has got to go (along with the open faced white safety helmet). That basket looked like the wicked witch of the west's basket from her bicycle.

Do I have a basket-phobia or something?

Winding Down

My week is winding down today…it's been a fruitful week of ministry/stuff. Looking forward to spending some down time this weekend with the family. Looks like there might be a cookout or two in my weekend…very nice. Also, a bit of getting stuff done so that we can fit another little one into this house!

Genesis 1:28 ²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number…".

Free Haircut Saturday

Katrina Miller, owner of Intrigue Salon in Middlebury (and Pathway person), came up with the idea of offering a day to the community in need for free haircuts! A couple of other hair stylists in the Pathway congregation have jumped in to provide their services as well. Using the gifts God has given you to serve others…I love it!

Not sure if I can share all the information just yet, but it will be happening soon.

Serve Here – Serve There! Good stuff!

God’s Mercies

I woke up this morning with a great sense of how I've got to approach this day fresh and new.  Lamentations 3 says that his mercies are new every morning.  Do you need some of his mercies today?  Take some right now...but when you start your day tomorrow...get up calling upon the Lord, asking Him for new mercy and grace to have patience with that co-worker, your kids, your spouse, the construction guy at US 20 and SR 15, the buggy you can't seem to pass on the 'S' curves in Middlebury...

Serve 2...Usher/Nursery Structure Changes

This past Sunday I talked about some changes to our Usher's and Nursery structure that will help us facilitate more effective ministry!  The audio of my talk is below if you missed it...

The Basics...

We are working under a nursery and ushering structure that was created for a church with one service (which we are not), therefore, something needs to change!  We are asking all involved in these ministries if they would be willing to serve in both services, and less often (goal being once every two months). 

Other stuff...

We'd like to break with a church tradition that started somewhere, and invite any of you ladies who would be willing to serve in the usher area to step up and serve!  Also, we'd like to ask that if you have a child who takes part in our infant or 2's and 3's class (soon to be a Toddler Nursery - listen to the talk to hear why), would you be willing to serve? 

Once we get this thing rolling in July, I think we'll all see the wisdom in the new structure.  Do what you can to give this puppy a try for the next 6 months, and then let's go from there!  Thanks Church!

Download Structure Changes Talk

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Elkhart, Elkhart and more Elkhart

Marshall King, Elkhart Truth's news editor and food columnist, just stopped by my office…great to put a face with the email/name. Megan and I started reading his Monday column entitled Dining A La King several years ago, and we've emailed back and forth a few times. Sounds like he's taken on a new role there at the Truth…good for him!

Headed to Elkhart this afternoon to meet with Steve Gruber, director of Downtown Elkhart, Inc. We'll be talking about what's available for our new Elkhart campus to use for our meeting space this fall. Ought to be a fun afternoon…

I love this…absolutely love this…before we ever have one service in Elkhart, our Elkhart Campus core team will be hitting the streets and serving! One of those opportunities is happening this weekend with Elkhart's Two Rivers Meet Race. They'll be handing out water, etc…just serving…just loving on the community…connecting with the community…learning from the community…I love it!

Code Red at School

I'm a little bit hacked off right now. It really takes a lot to get me worked up over something, but I'm worked up.

My eldest child had a code red at school today b/c some person (that's putting it lightly) decided to call in another bomb threat to our school system. My daughter's principal got on the intercom and announced a code red. The teachers acted swiftly and quickly, locking their classroom door, turning off the lights, and getting every child behind the teacher's desk (standard procedure for this kind of an event). My daughter said her heart was pounding through her chest. She said her teacher went right to prayer (it's nice to know that most people don't give a rip about the separation of church and state crapola).

This is what hacks me off…that the rest of us are left with a helpless feeling of "what in the world can I do?" I'll tell you what you need to do…exactly what I am doing…let's pray and trust that the authorities will find these cowards and bring them to complete justice, and that the Spirit of God will bring peace into this community and school system. God's bigger than this, let's call on Him! Seriously, I just have this sense that our spiritual enemy, whom the Bible calls the Devil, is laughing at this constant sense of unrest brought into our schools. Let's decide not to stand for it, and do something about it. Pray my friend…call on Him!

Boring Message, Affirming clip, Noony Noony Noony

• Yesterday was one of those odd Sunday's that I think only someone who speaks in front of a crowd on a regular basis can understand. After our first service, I literally made a bee-line for my office…wondering what in the world I could do to jazz up my message a bit. I felt I struggled to really connect for a couple of reasons, but anyhow. I sat there in my office, trying to think of another illustration here, how to tighten up a thought there…but when it was all said and done, I kept it all the same. Insert our 11am service…I felt exactly the opposite. I felt like I really did connect well. I felt like the message was 10 times as powerful in the second as it was in the first, but yet, it was the EXACT SAME MESSAGE! (fyi…it will be the second service message that will be podcast later on today). How about those apples…interesting dynamic yesterday.
• Had a lot of comments on the audio clip I shared yesterday of my dad "affirming me" at my ripe old age of a couple of months. You can listen to the minute long clip here.
• One of the more enjoyable parts of my day yesterday was speaking at the Stepping Up thing I blogged about last week. It's a group made up of about 50 5^th graders from the Middlebury School system. At one point, I wanted them all to think…think very deeply…so I told them to cup their hands over their ears…which they did! Then I told them to yell out these words – "Noony, Noony, Noony" – which they did! It was great! The funniest thing I've seen in a while! When I thought about asking them to do that, I had no idea they would do it so well…and that it would look so funny!

He's My Son...the Preacher

One of my dad’s favorite things to do when we were kids was to get the tape recorder out and interview us/record our voices.  The first tape (which was reel to reel by the way) is dated back in 1968.  Last summer, as a bit of a labor of love, I got all of these tapes out and transferred them to mp3 format. 

When I heard the clip below…well…I cried.  I pray I’ve been as affirming to my kids (starting when they were only a few months old like I was).  I’m using this in my message tomorrow (May 17^th). 

(fyi…the little kid giggling in the background is my sister Shayne Cripe)

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Stepping Up - Middlebury

A few years ago, a group of parents put together a group called Stepping Up here in Middlebury. This group consists of any Middlebury 5^th grader, who will be heading into Northridge Middle School this fall. They organize five mtngs over the Summer time (starting this Sunday actually) with the goal of giving each student entering 6^th grade confidence in knowing who they are in Christ, and knowing other students who will stand firm with them in Christ. What a great idea!

They asked me if I'd kick off their first mtng this week with a talk on Encouragement. Given that I would not put the gift of encouragement as one of my strong points, and that I wouldn't necessarily say I've spent a lot of time connecting with 5^th graders…I wholeheartedly accepted! Bring it on!

For more information on the group, call Lance and Jill Miller at 534-6062…or talk with Gary and Shayne Cripe who are involved in Pathway's Pathopolis Kids Ministry…

Northridge Bomb Threats and Abortion

A little behind in making comments about a few recent local events…

I have mixed emotions on this whole experience of recent bomb threats at Northridge Middle and High School…my main emotion is of utter shock! I realize kids will be kids, but this seems a bit beyond 'kiddy'. Slapping books out of someone's hands, tripping, and an occasional swirly (the art of shoving a student's head into a toilet and flushing it) are 'kiddy' things in my mind…but making bomb threats?

We all know this isn't something that can be handled flippantly, but how do we extend some kind of help here? I think these students ought to be punished to the max, but what can I, you, we do to make an impact on this situation? How can we reach out to them, their families, listen to them, and help? What are your thoughts?

No secret, President Obama is coming to speak at ND this weekend for commencement. The major hubbub is about his stance on abortion, of which I couldn't DISAGREE with the President stronger on. My thoughts are less on the President though, and more on the protest. What is the appropriate response to something like this? Should we be joining Alan Keyes and the others in protest, standing up for what we know to be truth (and holding up signs depicting very graphic images that I would not want my kids to see)? Or is there a more effective way of protest? If the over 1 million babies that were aborted this past year were still alive, what would they be doing? Have any thoughts?

Serve Here, Serve There

OK...Stop...collaborate and listen...

(Let's try that again, with a little less Vanilla Ice)...OK...Stop...right now...tell me at least one area where you are serving others in the community, and one area where you are serving others at Pathway (or in the local church you attend).  You don't really have to tell me, but maybe jot it down on a scrap piece of paper, gum wrapper, your hand, anywhere, but get it in front of your face.  Where are you Serving Here (in the local expression of Christ's love called Pathway), and where are you Serving There (in the community in which God has placed you and shed his blood for)?

I've asked myself that a couple of times over the past few months.  Why is this so important?  Bottom line is - Jesus came not to be served but to serve.  That really is enough reason right there.  But let's dive in deeper...

Serve Here b/c it's God's plan to work through the local church.  Within the arms of the local church:

---We have the opportunity to show the community what it looks like to genuinely love each other, even when we get hacked off at each other from time to time! 

---We have the opportunity to take on projects of outreach/evangelism bigger than ourselves! 

---We can create opportunities for spiritual growth in every age group, relationally and mechanically! 

---We can create opportunities for you and I to use our gifts and talents! 

---We can offer regular times for believers to come together and worship God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit! 

Serve There b/c it's a tangible way of living out Christ's heart for people who have yet to know Jesus.  Really, think about it...if Jesus lived in Middlebury, Goshen, Elkhart, Shipshewana, Millersburg, Bristol, etc., where would he go to hang out with people who are unbelievers?  What are the modern day watering holes?  Find them, and go there! 

I know the Sunday School answer would be, "they're in the bars and whore houses pastor...that's where they are at bless God!"  Well, we've got a few bars around here, not so sure about the whore houses, but then I'm not so sure that's where the majority of at least Middlebury is hanging out.  They are out on the Little League Diamonds, the soccer fields, the basketball courts, the service clubs, etc.  Are you there, serving?

Maybe for you, Serving There would look less organized and more like sitting in a nursing home, leading a group of people in singing hymns.  Hymns they sing from memory, but they won't remember you were there 5 minutes after you leave. 

Who knows how God might use you to effect the eternal destiny of someone just b/c you spent time connecting with them in the last years of their life...or on the soccer fields...or over a plate full of freshly baked cookies you took to them! 

Serve Here and Serve There people! 

Me and the Bible, on an Island

Was going over my journal today and ran across this quote again from Francis Chan - "If I was on an island alone with the Bible, how would I live?" If all I had was the Bible, and I just simply lived out what it said, what would that look like? Does our church look like the book of Acts?

Deep thoughts…

6 Talks, Keith leaving, Parenthood

• In a little over 24 hours, I spoke 6 times (3 sessions at LG leaders retreat, 1 funeral, and 2 Sunday services). Though it was draining in every area (spiritually, emotionally, physically), it was still a joy to pour into people! My biggest drain is always the prep time for each talk. I love the presentation part!
• Keith and Lacei Grabill, our Youth Pastors for the past 5 years, announced today that they will be leaving us for the colder temperatures of Michigan. Ugh. There is a sense of the leading of the Holy Spirit all over this, but that still doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye to people we love and appreciate. More on that later…
• Though I don't think that I'm a very good 'felt need' type preacher, I felt like the Holy Spirit really spoke to me this past week as to what to share with the church concerning the role of parents in the discipleship of their kids. The family was around before the church was! Really excited as we continue in our Parenthood series over the next few weeks…
• I need to have some down time this week…re-fill my tank! Hoping to maybe get a round of golf in somewhere. If you're out playing, be sure to watch out for my drive's…

Parenthood - Top 10

We're continuing on in our series on parenting this Sunday. I'm not sure if I'll use this top 10 list or not, but as I was studying for the series, I found it, and thought it was good stuff!

10 Guidelines to help you be a good model to your children…Your children deserve:

1.    To hear you pray earnestly and often. (1 Thess. 5:17)

2.    To spend time with you as you talk about the things of God (Deut. 6:6-9)

3.    To hear you talk to others about becoming Christians. (Matt. 28:18-20)

4.    To see you put God first in your giving. (Malachi 3:8-10)

5.    To watch you live a consistent Christian life. (Deut. 10:12-13)

6.    To go with you to visit the unfortunate. (James 1:27)

7.    To hear you say good things about other Christians. (1 Thess. 5:1)

8.    To be exposed to experiences that will bring Christian growth. (1 Tim. 4:13-16)

9.    To see you love your spouse. (Eph. 5:22-23)

10.    To know your Savior in a personal way. (John 17:3)

Taken from John Maxwell's book, Breakthrough Parenting. Published by Focus on the Family Publishing, Colorado Springs, CO 80995.

Denise Loney Funeral

For those of you who are a part of Pathway, Denise Loney's Funeral will be Saturday, 2pm, @ Pathway.  There will be no visitation or viewing.  We are planning on having a funeral dinner for the family and guests following the funeral.  If you are available to help, contact Denise Turner @ 825-8028.

Why I love Pathway

Pathway lost one of our members early this morning (Wednesday).  Denise Loney went to be with Jesus after several months of hospital stays (in and out), this last one for 2 weeks.  They were in the midst of transferring her from Goshen General Hospital to a hospital in Indy (literally in the ambulance), when her heart failed, and she was gone from us (but with the Lord).  Please pray for her husband Al, their twin girls - Renee and Abigail (9), and their twin boys - Dylan and Timothy (14).  I'll try to post viewing/service info here on my blog.

Why do I love Pathway? One reason is how amazing our Life Group leaders are at times like these.  The Loney's are connected to Dave and Denise Turner's LG...and the group is already stepping up to serve them (and have been, through the numerous hospital stays over the past few months).  This is it...doing life together...celebrating the good...crying and listening through the not so good.  I love you church. 

Free Food from KFC

This isn't a joke…you can read more by clicking here…eat a meal free on KFC, as they are trying to get you to try their new grilled chicken…but you have to do it by the end of today (Wednesday)…

Ken Brown’s 13k

A few weeks ago, we had Pathway Missionary, Ken Brown (who is a Yale grad, not Harvard by the way…so sue me), speak to us at Pathway about what's happening in DC through Urban Outreach. Here's a picture from the 13k he ran this past Sunday…he suggested that next time, Jay Covert and myself ought to join him…I think I might fast and pray about that…then dig into a meal at the Essenhaus…hehe…

Swamped week

Having a really swamped week this week…really excited to hang out with our Life Group leaders this weekend though. Might be a light blogging week…

Free Saturday

Wow…I forgot the feeling on a Saturday, when I don't have to preach on the Sunday! It's hard to explain until you are there…not that I don't enjoy preaching on Sunday's, but Saturday is anything but a day off when you have the pressure of bringing it the next day. This morning, I met our Sunday speaker, Gabriele Rienas, as I greeted and prayed over the ladies at the Emerge conference. Gabriele is going to do a great job kicking off our new Parenthood series.

Had a lot of mini-projects to tackle today…important stuff like – cleaning up my side of the bedroom (I had 2 overflowing piles of books, papers, financial reports, notes from the girl…I even cleaned off my bedside table…how about that), going to Lowe's, catching up on The Amazing Race, teaching my youngest to play Clue (and more importantly, how to annihilate her opponents), hanging a few things on the walls in our bedroom (we've only lived here for going on 6 years now…thought it was about time), etc.

I'm thankful for a church that doesn't mind giving their pastor a break from time to time!

Shawn and Lacey Maust

What a great celebration of marriage last night for Shawn and Lacey (formerly Stark)! What a wonderful couple. Now I know a lot of people worked at getting these two together, but I think my wife Megan was the original. Others can take the credit, but I remember Megan saying something from day one when the Stark's moved here!

I caught these two pictures from my goofy camera on my phone…I like to think that phone pictures add character to the photo…maybe you should add your own captions in the comments?

Shawn – "What, no water in the basin for the foot washing moment in the ceremony? No biggy…Josh Delcamp can hook us up…" (this actually did happen…classic moment…they went to wash each other's feet, and one of the groomsmen had to run and get the water)

Lacey – …Lacey is just too sweet to make up a caption for…I'll leave that up to Evan (her brother)…

Shawn – "Did I really just go down the aisle with this gal? Maybe I'm just dreaming here…" Seriously, I've seen a lot of smiles on the face of Shawn Maust…but this one was the smile of all smiles!

Congrats guys! Godspeed…