Putting A Face On 254,000 Meals

Numerically speaking, yesterday was extraordinary in the life of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church. 2400 people . . . prepared & packed & loaded . . . 254,232 meals . . . in just under five hours. We had a preposterous goal of 250,000 meals and by God's...

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The Worship Center Has No Seats!

Here's what the Good Shepherd Worship Center looks like this morning:What in the world?  Are we cancelling church on Sunday?Hardly.We're getting for the people of Good Shepherd not to hear the sermon but to be the sermon.Later today, volunteer crews will bring in...

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Prayer As A “Get Through” Or A “Go To”?

I have realized this week how often prayer functions in my life as something to get through.Many of you know exactly what I'm saying . . . prayer functions as the table setter for whatever is next on your agenda.At meal times, it's what you get through so that you can...

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Million Meal March — Frequently Asked Questions

For the people of Good Shepherd, southwest Charlotte, northern York, and eastern Gaston Counties:Million Meal March FAQ Fed Up With Hunger SundayFrequently Asked QuestionsWhat Are We Doing On March 30 at Good Shepherd?We are harnessing all our Sunday morning...

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Top Five Tuesday — Top Five Christian Cliches

You know what a cliché is, right?A word or phrase that has been used so often, and in so many different settings, that it has lost its original meaning.  Assuming, of course, it ever had an original meaning . . . which many clichés never did. Good communicators,...

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A Completely Incomplete Sermon

My sermon yesterday needed to do two things:  1) serve the normal function of a Sunday message in terms of teaching, evoking, exhorting, and encouraging the people gathered for worship; and 2) drum up awareness of and enthusiasm for next week's Million Meal...

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Food For Thought, Week 2 — Completely Incomplete

I've never done a "two-part" sermon before.Series, yes.Two-parts to get to the one whole?  NeverUntil this weekend.You'll see what I mean.  In a big, bold, radically impactful way.Completely IncompleteSunday. 8:30.  10.  11:30.  Food For...

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Just Some Questions I’ve Been Pondering . . .

Here are a few questions running around in my head this week . . .1.  Based on the theory of Occam's Razor -- "among competing hypotheses, the hypothesis with the fewest assumptions should be selected" -- isn't it most likely that the Malaysian jet had a...

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