Locked and loaded

We've got 600 door hangers printed, and ready for distribution. I'm going to be making some calls to our younger SRCers to help me distribute them. But wanted to mention it in case there was anyone else that would enjoy the exercise. Door hangers are low impact. We'll distribute them during the day, and just hang them on door knobs in predetermined neighborhoods.

I was telling my friend Phil this morning that I feel like, we're spreading seed, and I pray that what we sow we will reap. I know that's how it works.

--Ben

Volunteer *UPDATED

We need volunteers for Friday, July 4th from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (or any time in between). SRC has secured a booth at the Severna Park 4th of July festival. There will probably be over 1000 people there, and we will be conducting our CONTACT survey as part of the festivities.

I gotta say, that if you thought you'd help out at any point this summer, this is one time I NEED YOU.

We will be offering two $50.00 Gas Card giveaways, and I think that's going to mean a large interest in our survey. To service all the people, we'll need as many volunteers as possible. Please come out and help us.

Sign Up HERE!

--Ben

Fickle Feeling of Foolishness

I think we make too much out of foolishness. Somewhere in adolescence our self-consciousness kicks into overdrive, and suddenly for the rest of our lives we grow concerned about what people think about us. Of course, this affects some more than others.

I guess the way that I have found to deal with it, is to assume that I'm the most confident person in the world so even in the places where I feel a lack of confidence, others probably are even more inconfident.

Is it true? I don't know. I only know how to choose whether I'm going to be confident or whether I'm going to give in to looking foolish.

If you struggle with the fickle feeling of foolishness, give it a try. I have confidence in you.

--Ben

In Depth Reflection Of My Retreat

There is a place that I like to go for spiritual retreat. It is a place of familiar surroundings that has a history of being a place that people experience communion with God. For my own experience it is the place that I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. Its altar and prayer room were a foundational place for the development of my Christian experience. It was in a building, which has since been razed, on this property that I was called into the ministry... To read the full article click here.

--Ben

Finishing Up

Today I'm finishing up my work for a class that I took in March. It's due today which means I'm right on time. :-)

--Ben

CONTACT This Weekend -- OFF

Well, I was really working and hoping for an open door for this weekend, however, we were not able to secure a location. So this weekend we're off.

But I can use as many as possible to help out on July 4th at the Severna Park Festival.

--Ben

Wishing I Ccould Join The Mac Pack

Today I'm working on a video project for the class I'm completing. I have to admit when working on projects like this, I sure wish I had a mac. They are so much easier for this kind of work. I've just been taking my time (which means time wasted). I do one application at a time so that I don't crash a program.

Uggh. Only another couple hours.

--Ben

Home Again!

Hey, I'm back home. I enjoyed a great 24 hours away, unplugged and disconnected from the rest of the world. Just me and God for most of it. I also got to swing by a mentor's cottage and talk with her.

I gotta say that it's really great when you get away to pray. When there is nothing to do but try to hear God, it's awesome. I hope that you'll all try it at some point. A digital mentor of mine, Mark Batterson, says, "change of pace plus change of place equals change of perspective." That's absolutely true.

More than anything I heard the Lord saying he has a plan, and we're on the right track. Let's keep it up!

--Ben

Ramping up

I noticed today that I used the term "ramping up" twice. I thought I'd share why I'm interested in "ramping up" our evangelism, and what that looks like.

In 1996 I visited my sister in Israel. As part of our sight seeing we visited Masada a mountain palace/fortress in the desert of Israel. It is such a cool place. It is located on top of a butte. In one instance a group of Israeli zealots ended their lives in a stand off against the Roman legion. In fact in the picture I've included you can see the remains of a ramp that the Romans built in order to apprehend the zealots.

Ramping up evangelism is about making a way by raising our level to reach people. We're just trying to get where they are. Here are the two compelling examples that I think of:

1. A church planter in Pennsylvania once shared this advice with me..."God already has people in your area that he's sending you to start a church for. You just need to go find them."
2. A church planter in Philadelphia told me that he just went out on the street and started asking people if they knew anyone that would be part of a new church. He collected names, phone numbers, and addresses of people then contacted them to come to the church. The method is different but the principle is the same. The people are there, we just need to give them a chance to find our church.

That's why door hangers and mailers. We're just trying to give people the opportunity to find the church that God created them to be part of.

--Ben

New Movers

I think I've mentioned before that we're starting a new movers program. We are partnering with Outreach Marketing to contact all new movers in our area. Currently the estimated number of new movers into our area (five mile radius of the campus) is 133 a month. These are people who move from outside of that area into our radius.

This service sends them a personalized postcard in the mail with information about our church. We then receive their information address/phone to follow up two weeks later with another invitation. All a part of ramping up our effort to evangelize our area.

--Ben

Door Hangers

We've ordered door hangers in an effort to raise awareness of our church. My coach recommend (read: required) me to do it. We'll get them in a couple days from now and then we'll pass them out. We are definately ramping up our evangelism. The door hanger is a product of Outreach.com.

--Ben

Prayer Retreat

One of the assignments for my class is to go away for a spiritual retreat. I'm headed out this evening to spend about 24 hours praying and fasting. I'm really looking forward to what lies ahead for me over those hours. The bottom line is God wants to talk with us, but do we ever give him our undivided attention? That's what this retreat is for. I'll be turning off my cell phone, unplugging from the web, and going old school with a pad of paper and a pen just to write the things that I think he's speaking to me.

I'd ask that you pray for me tomorrow. I'll keep you informed.

--Ben

Project

Well, I'm coming down to it on finishing up my class work for my Spiritual Formation Class. But I gotta admit it's turning up the heat. I've got a lot to do, and less and less time to do it.

--Ben

ZOO??

Well, I was wrong. We did not go to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. We went to the National Zoo in DC. It was a great trip. My daughter had such a great time.

I love the pack mentality of kids. There are things that I know Sydney would never do, but if there's a bunch of other kids around she'll launch out into new things. She puts this bravery on in front of her peers. A ton of fun to watch.

--Ben

Zoo

I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I've scheduled the day off to wander around the Baltimore Zoo. I haven't been there that I can remember, but I'm looking forward to taking my daughter on a trip that she won't remember either. ;-)

We're going with a number of friends, and I think it will be the most marvelous day.

--Ben

Thoughts From Our First CONTACT

Here are a list of things that I picked up from our first CONTACT outing.

• "I'm new here." -- We live in an area that has a high influx of people in and out.
• "The B&A Trail" -- The people were biased because of where they were and what they were doing. They were totally focused on the trail, and it reflected in many of their answers.
• "I'm not from around here." -- The trail brings people from all over central Maryland, because AA county has the best trails. We talked with people from Baltimore City, County, Howard County, as far away as Waldorf.
• "Hey, they're giving away water." -- It was a bit of a fluke. I wanted to have some type of giveaway. It turned out that I picked the number one thing. Everyone took note that we were giving away water. What was great was how many people stopped, but then ended up not even taking a bottle.
• "Are you part of the Ranger service?" -- I loved that people assumed we were with any number of organizations before they found out we were from the church. That way they equated us with organizations that they said in their survey were the top notch groups in the community. Now in some ways we've been coupled with these other organizations. Not bad company.

--Ben

Small Group

Last night I was invited to be part of the Game Player's group. It was a ton of fun. My family loved jumping in the pool at the Jones'. Then we ate dinner with the group and we played a fun game. I forget what it's called but it's by the creators of Cranium. (Somebody tell Matt.)

The majority of the group was from a former group that I led. It was nice to get together with them again.

--Ben

Total

Well, I made it till 7:30. The girls are having bath time, so I get a chance to sneak down to my desk. I opened the file and started counting. I suppose I should put the number in context. We estimated that 25 would be an acceptable amount of surveys because we are using an attractional method. That means we put up a sign, offer a giveaway, and people are attracted to come over. We don't solicit much. This is the posture that we want to take because it is less aggressive and the people that come over don't have their guard up against all their previous interaction with the Church. In fact today several people thought we were part of the Ranger service. One person asked if we were students at AACC (gotta admit I felt good being mistaken for a college student). By the time they heard we were a church, they were already on board with what we were doing, and responded much better. But I digress...

We thought 25 would be acceptable, 50 would be exceptional. We ended up at 47. Not a bad days work. I'm very proud of our volunteers. Thankful to the Park Rangers, and to all that participated in our surveys. In addition to the 47 that we have in hand their were an additional 10 or so that took a survey in hand and then admitted they didn't live in the area so they couldn't help.

Can't wait for the next one. If you've thought that you can't do this, I can attest that after today I'm sure you can. We can do this, and we can reach our goal of 1500 with a paper trail to prove it.

--Ben

CONTACT

Well, I'm pleased to report that our first CONTACT survey went great. I'm so thankful for the volunteers that came out and helped. I haven't counted all the surveys we collected. I have a busy schedule today, but I might take a peak at them this evening. It was so much fun. Loved hearing from the people at the B&A Trail. There were people from all over. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of time that many people gave to give good answers.

Can't wait for the next one!

Someone asked if we would be doing this again. The answer is absolutely. We'll be doing these till we have a sampling of 1500 people with a paper trail to prove it. There will be lots of opportunities for volunteers. BTW, I'm gonna throw it out there. If you attend a different church, and check in because you pray and support what we're doing, consider putting together a volunteer team and come out and help us. We'd really appreciate the help, and are eager to teach you what we've learned. Get a hold of me and let me know.

--Ben

Can I trust God?

There are a number of little things that are the practice of faith, that seem insignificant, but are actually the whole enchilada.

It would seem that there is a mystical place that we would arrive at spiritually in life that would be a place of spiritual enlightenment and achievement. And in religion there is such a place. The problem is that it's the wrong religion. That is the pursuit of Buhdists.

As Christians we are called to live spiritual lives here and now, and not in the hope of state of perfection while we live here on earth. Our hope is based on the future after death or with the Lord's return. But for the here and now, our faith is simply practiced. And there are practices that followers of God have practiced for centuries. The effort du jour is the practice of Sabbath.

Can I trust God with only six days to work this week? While my schedule may run a little differently that most people, it all boils down to one thing; there are only so many days and hours in a week. Scripture gives us an example from God himself that there are six days to work and a day to rest. This rhythm is repeated throughout scripture. And it's nice to think about a day of rest, but I'm wondering today if we practice our faith regularly by taking a day to rest.

I had a busy week. My calendar has more blanks filled in than usual this week. And I'm very pleased with my achievement. But there's more to be done. More stuff that I could do, want to do, need to do. But what if I don't do them today? Can I trust God with only six days to work this week? Can I trust that if today I spend my time relaxing, renewing that He will take care of my work? That the six days will be blessed because I rested one?

See the beauty of faith is that it is both here and now, and then and there.

--Ben

Drive By

This afternoon I'm doing a couple drive-by visitations. Just popping in on some friends from church that I think could use the visit. I'm looking forward to it.

--Ben

Hagerstown

Today I went out for my monthly coaching session. I gotta tell you that at four dollars a gallon, I'm thinking more and more about every mile I drive. It was a great meeting though. I was able to fill him in more on what we're doing. He asked a lot of probing questions, and then gave me idea after idea of what we could be doing to improve. It was a great meeting. So thankful for the connection. When it was all over he donated hundreds of dollars worth of materials to us. I brought it home with me, and he's sending a package tomorrow.

--Ben

With Sadness

I received a call this morning that the daughter of my former secretary passed away last night. She had been sick for a couple days, but there didn't seem to be urgency. Then early this morning she passed.

I'm so sorry for the loss. My heart is broken for them. Please join me in prayer for this family.

--Ben

Last One For Now

Ok, three posts in a row, I know, but this'll be the last one for now.

Tonight our small group is getting together. I'm very excited about the picnic group. Looking forward to playing with the kids down next to the Bay at Cape St. Claire Park. Nelson has taken over leadership of the group, and this summer's gonna be a blast.

--Ben

CONTACTS

I really enjoy meeting people through the Chamber of Commerce. Today I met a small business owner that does websites, Cliff. And this morning I met Rick Sutton. He's banker with the Bank of Glen Burnie. He let me know about some great lending advantages they offer to local churches, but at the same time didn't compete when I baited him with some other bank information. I was impressed with that. Nice guy. I'll probably try to interview him for CONTACT as well.

--Ben

What a day

This morning started at 6:00 a.m. working on permission letters that are going out to sites around our area for the CONTACT groups that will start surveying this Saturday. Then at 8:00 a.m. it was over to Ledo's Pizza for a meeting about BRAC (see today's earlier post). Found out some interesting things.

BRAC:

• 5,700 people are moving to the area because of BRAC directly.
• NSA is hiring an additional 4000+.
• The agreement will build a 1.7 million square foot office building in the Ft. Meade area and will house 10,000 new employees.
• Other growth outside of BRAC is expected to bring in an additional 2000 people.
• The workers that are coming are science and math minds that work white collar, high technology jobs, with an average income of $90,000.
  
• They're expected to begin moving in in 2009, with the majority here by 2011. Fully here by 2015.
  
• That's a lot of people! It will mainly be felt in the western part of the county.

Then I drove to prayer in Sparrows Point. I join with other pastors monthly to pray together. It was very refreshing to pray with them, though it ended with a small (pointless) controversy.

Then home for lunch with the girls. An early afternoon of paperwork for CONTACT, and then I made some rounds introducing myself to managers and supervisors at some of the locations we're targeting for CONTACT. I got permission from the B&A Trail headquarters. I met the supervisor at the Severna Park Post Office. The decision there really lies with the postmaster (currently on vacation) so I'll find out in a couple weeks. Then to the Severna Park Library. I'll go back tomorrow to see the branch manager.

Then I capped off my day with a trip to a local Chamber of Commerce event. Chesapeake Treasures had a ribbon cutting ceremony today. CT has filled the space that Corky's Cafe used to have. (sniff sniff) I miss the old coffee shop. They've redecorated and it is definately a different place. I had to gather much of what I learned about the store, but this is what I think I know. CT is a second hand store, with merchandise that is donated to the local Hospice of the Chesapeake. The store is operated by Hospice employees and volunteers. It was a neat little place.

While I was there I met Brenda. She works for the County Executive's office. She is a liaison for community service and needs in the County. I got her card and the promise of an interview. She'll be a great contact for CONTACT.

--Ben

BRAC

BRAC stands for Base Realignment and Closure. It is the term that is used to describe the redistribution of military and civilian personel that are being displaced and reassigned to new military bases in the US.

Today I am attending a meeting hosted by the Severna Park Chamber of Commerce with a guest speaker from John Leopold's (Anne Arundel County Executive) office. They will be discussing the impact of BRAC on our area. To give you an idea of the impact they estimate an additional 9000-14000 jobs will be created in the next 6 years in local businessess to handle the influx of people that will be moving into our area. And in case you're grabbing your resume, they're expecting the bulk of those jobs to be in high technology.

It should be a fun trip. I'm looking forward to making some more connections today.

--Ben

Pray For CONTACT

We're securing permissions to conduct our surveys. Please pray with us for God's favor to open doors of permission.

--Ben

The Other Side of Ben Rainey

You know there are two sides to Ben Rainey, and it seems to take people by surprise. There is the outgoing, up front, comfortable Ben Rainey that seems the world's most natural extrovert, and then there is a completely different side. The other side is quiet, reserved, and introverted. It's not that I put on an act in one situation and am who I "really" am in the other. I am "really" the same guy in both situations minus one; information.

I naturally enter new situations, projects, or relationships in a very quiet way. While in this side of my personality I'm gathering information. I want to know what the social rules are. I discern who's are the peaceful people, who are the agitators, and everyone in between. What are the topics of conversation, and what can I add to the mix. After I reach a comfort level with those rules I come out and display the other side of Ben Rainey.

I think it takes people by surprise especially because many people meet me through my work with the church. In that setting I know all the rules that make up the whole enchilada so they see the outgoing side. Then when I show up in another setting, they're expecting one thing, and get something else.

This weekend my friend Diane learned that about me. I attended a great party that she threw. But because it was a new environment, I quieted down and she noticed.

I know it seems strange but the popular and unbridled Ben Rainey is really the other side of Ben Rainey.

--Ben

Please note that while I write about myself in the third person, I seldom speak that way of myself.

Open House

I wonder if the methodology of the open house has seen its day. Last night my realtor held our house open, which means it's closed to us. She put up signs and listed it on openhouse.com. But nobody came.

I'm not surprised really. She tells me that people still come to open houses and she just sold a house because of an open house, but I think it is a methodology that is growing outdated. For instance, when I'm looking for a house I go on the internet, find the listings I want, take a virtual tour, and if it is something I'm really interested in then I go take a look. I do not wander around looking for open houses to make my choice. I don't know if that's a generational thing or a societal one. What I mean is that I don't know if it's only young people who are looking that way, or if everyone in society, young or old, are moving to that methodology.

Could I mention here that I wonder if churches are like my realtor? Do they open the house and think people will come in, they'll look around, and all because they happen to find us? I think there have been so many major changes in the last 5 decades and each decade those changes increase. Could it be that the people just won't find the house the same way they used to? How are we engaging those that we want to bring into our house?

--Ben

Lunch With A Soldier

Today I'm proud to be having lunch with a soldier. Ronnie is from Severn River Church, but he's been deployed for about the last 6 months. It's so nice to have him around. He's home for only a few more days before he goes out again. I have heard second hand stories about the transformation that has taken place in his life. Stories of his service that would make any American proud. I also want to hear about his growth in responsibility and leadership.

It's bound to be a good time having lunch with an American soldier.

--Ben

Speed Reading

Today I took a trip to NYC to be with a friend who's been going through a difficult time lately. It was a good trip, and I loved listening to what's going on and try and offer what insight I could. But I was reminded of something. Bus drivers speed.

Drivers put the peddle down to the floor and let the engine governor keep them from going "too fast". Yikes! I took a book, and read over half of it on the trip. It's called Church Marketing 101. It is very interesting so far. The writer was a marketing consultant who became convinced that there were basic principles of marketing found in scripture. He has translated them for the kingdom of God to help churches.

But reading while on a bus is speed reading.

--Ben

BTW, I rode round trip for $35.00 plus tax. Now, you get what you pay for, but it was a bus ride to NYC. If you want details on the deal check out www.easternshuttle.com.

Cliche

I'm a student of rhetoric. I love to listen to people speak. Watch the ability of a speaker to move an audience. Hone my skills to be the best communicator of the gospel I can be.

Because of my interest in speech I think I listen with different intent than most people. I become very conscious of the words that are being used, and what they actually mean. I am aware of it in my own speaking. Anyone who has accused me of saying something that I didn't knows that I'll tell you exactly what I said, the words I used, and the meaning in that context. I'm keyed in on words.

I have become much more careful about the use of cliches. The reason is that by definition they are a trite saying. They are gross generalizations that carry little credibility. I strive to be very specific when I speak.

But there is one cliche that has been ringing in my mind of late, and I have been trying to explain it away through specific examples, but I have come up short.

The family that prays together, stays together.

Cliche or not, I believe that this is more than a trite saying. This is the key to breaking bondage in our homes. Families are bound up in all kinds of things that are holding them back from the life that God wants for them.

Families, pray together!

Pray together in your home, in your bedrooms. Pray at your meals together. Attend a church together so regularly it's the norm. Remember Jesus said, "My house shall be called a house of prayer." Pray with each other, pray for each other, and pray for others.

The most meaningful times of prayer in my family growing up were when in addition to our normal prayers we would "adopt" a need from another family or friend. We would pray for them until our prayers were answered. It's a practice that my family now practices in my home. It is moving when among my 3 year old daughters prayer requests she lists my friends going through a divorce, or the daughter of a friend of mine with cancer. At three she already knows that our family stands on prayer. When she's sick or hurt, she wants to be picked up, held, and then says, "Daddy, pray to Jesus for me."

My home isn't perfect. I'm not a perfect husband, father, or man in general. And that may be why I hold even tighter to this thought. Every natural person in the world looks only to their own control to manage their life. As a spiritual person we realize that there is another choice. An option that outweighs our own frailty. We can turn to God through His Son, Jesus Christ. We can lift up our prayer to him. We can tell him our need and ask, plead, and beg for help. And then we can be assured, peaceful. He will care for us. He doesn't always do what we ask Him to. It we were to expect him to then we contradict our own faith. Many people carry this contradiction, it's no wonder they wobble on the footing of faith. James tells us that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. When we try to give control to God, but hold onto control in our lives we can never fully rest in the peace of God.

Resting in his peace comes through prayer. Pray together. Stay together.

--Ben

The Latest Update

Visits Galore! My dad expressed today that he had a lot of visitors. It is encouraging when people take time out of their schedules to swing in. It turns out that they'll keep him for another couple days. Each doctor that comes in to see him is surprised that he's back in the hospital. Here's why:

Infection Dr.: "Your infection numbers are improving."

Kidney Dr.: "Your creatinine levels are improving."

Primary Dr.: "We'll just keep you for Dialysis tomorrow, then send you home the next day."

So, there is a lot of improvement as Dad said, "Some things for the positive side of the journal."

Thanks to everyone that is praying.

--Ben

Small Groups

I just sent out some correspondence to some of the heroes of SRC. There are seven small groups this summer. I'm so thankful for these dedicated people that are emerging as leaders in our church. It's going to be a great summer. I'm much more confident with our small group plan this summer than I was with last summer. I believe that our interest based groups will be a great supplement to the travel season.

Thanks to everyone involved.

--Ben

Update On My Dad

Many have heard that my Dad went back into the hospital over the weekend. I wanted to give you an update. I went yesterday to check on him. I was surprised at how good he looked and sounded. It turned out that he was referred back to the hospital because of dehydration. After receiving a bag of saline solution he felt much better. His rash has subsided and he was feeling very good. They need to solve an issue with his blood pressure, and then I expect he'll be released later today.

I'm so thankful to the many friends that are lifting him up in prayer. I was moved to hear the response of his home church Pasadena A/G. Their service yesterday morning must have been a special and different kind of morning. I know there was much prayer that came out of it. People visited and are planning visits with my father, and others in the church that are facing great struggles. Praise God!

--Ben

New Art

I'm digging this new logo art that I just got from our graphic artist. What do you think?

This Sunday @ SRC

This Sunday we're hosting a missions family that has a very unique ministry. They are helping prostitutes and addicts around the world to escape their life of bondage, by teaching them the skill of jewelry making. Jewels4God is partnering with ministries in over 86 nations.

We will meet Tim and Michelle Zello this Sunday at SRC as they show us the ministry that they do, and how we can be part of ministry efforts like this around the world.

See you Sunday,

--Ben

CONTACT

Last night I met with our Operations Team, and we spent the evening hashing out some of the particulars of CONTACT. We have laid a foundation of prayer, we have cast the vision of what CONTACT is all about through mail and live announcements, and now we are planning the Dates, Locations, and Supplies needed to execute it.

So far three team leaders have emerged and are going to be signing up members to help. Each leader (Myself, Alma and Rob) will be publishing dates and locations that we will be surveying. Our goal is to have the first group(s) going out on June 21st. More information is forthcoming. Please continue to pray.

Volunteers are needed for several parts of this plan. From surveyors to behind the scenes people. If you're interested in joining up, please let me know, and I'll give you detailed instructions on what we need done.

--Ben

Homefront

At the Rainey house we've been enjoying the adventures of Ellie. Over the last ten days she has really kicked it into gear. She is now crawling on her knees, and has parleyed that into this trick in her crib. Hope you enjoy it.

--Ben

Contractors

Well, I had some basement work done a couple months ago as you may recall. Since then I've had some recurring problems, nothing major, but problems that needed fixing. I called the contractor back and though he's been by to look at the work, it's been a couple weeks till he's actually sent someone over to fix it. Today, they are finally coming. I just got the call that they are on their way. Finally...

Unfortunately this canceled plans I had to visit Bill Chamberlin in Annapolis, but he and I will reconnect next week.

--Ben

Maryland News Flash

Humidity in Maryland, who knew?

--Ben

Back Home

While there are still many more questions than answers my father was released tonight to come home from the hospital. I guess the feeling was that if he was just gonna lay there while they're trying to fix him, he might as well lay in his own bed. He still has the infection in his leg. He still has a problem with his kidneys, but he's home now. Please continue to pray for a full recovery.

--Ben

Sometimes I Surprise Myself

No really. Like today when someone contacted me about an upcoming appointment, that I had scheduled, written down and calendared, but wasn't on my mind at all. I've got to tell you folks, I can't wait till one of these days when I get an assistant. I need one. Sheeeeeze.

Sometimes I surprise myself, and that's not a good thing.

--Ben

No real news

There's no real news on my dad. He is still in the hospital, still doing dialysis and trying to get his infection and creatinine numbers down.

At this point he is mostly frustrated that there doesn't seem to be any progress. There is not one successful milestone reached yet. I think he'd feel better if they could just say that they understand the problem and are pursuing a solution. But right now everything's a question with no answers.

Thanks for praying,
--Ben

Optimistic Pastoral Care

I have been realizing a problem in the area of pastoral care in my ministry. And as I self diagnose, what I realize is that I'm too optimistic. I tend to believe the best in people, and what I'm finding is that people are often struggling, in need of spiritual care long before I realize it. Then weeks pass. all the while I'm thinking too optimistically about how they're doing, only to realize it and have a huge time gap to work against. I working through a new model of pastoral care that will be more proactive.

--Ben

The Day The Sound Board Died

Yesterday morning we started our sound check and soon it seemed that there was no sound to check. It turned out that 40 minutes before our service the sound board stopped producing sound. It made for an interesting morning.

I found myself thinking that one of these days, we'll look back and remember the day the sound board died. For now, we're taking it to a repair shop to find out what will be entailed in fixing it. The situation is only slightly more complicated by the fact that we don't own the equipment. It was loaned to us indefinitely, with an agreement to return it when we could secure our own equipment. Obviously the useful life of technology is limited, but I hope we can find a good solution soon.


For what it's worth...

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--Ben

An Invitation

The Reinhardt family has extended an invitation to the church family to enjoy an afternoon of R&R with Ronnie on Sunday, June 8th from 3 -9 p.m. Ronnie has been deployed overseas with the US Army. He is home for a break, and if you attend SRC you're welcome to join in the celebration of his safe arrival home. Please sign-up if you plan to attend.

To sign-up, please click HERE.

--Ben

Prayer Update

From coast to coast people are praying for my dad. I appreciate it so much, and know he does. It is an impressive thing to me when I see the statistics on the Severn River Church website and see more hits to the prayer page than to the homepage. I think that's pretty cool.

For the latest click HERE.

--Ben