No, Jolene and I are not having a baby. But we are having a baby. The “we” is Pantano Christian Church. The baby is a member of the Pantano family - the Sierra Vista campus. So what do you do when you are having a baby? Throw a baby shower.

First, let me update you on some things happening with Pantano Christian Church - Sierra Vista. Hugh Sexton, our site pastor, and his family have settled into their home in SV.

Jesse and Julie Colburn have also moved to SV. Jesse will serve as worship leader and associate pastor.

We have a building rented - a transformed theater that is perfect! PCC-SV has an ice cream truck to serve their community (See it in the court yard the next few weeks). And Lord willing, we’ll officially launch on Sunday August 17th.

There are two ways to help provide needed items for our new campus in Sierra Vista. Beginning this weekend there will be a table where you can buy items needed for Pantano Christian Church - Sierra Vista campus. Or you can go online and use the “baby shower” or gift registries. Below are the stores and links where the SV campus is registered.

1) Wal-Mart: http://www.walmart.com/giftregistry/
2) Target: http://www.target.com/registry/baby/
3) Toys R Us: http://www.toysrus.com/

For each gift registry use the following to locate the “person” to give the gift to: first name: Sierra, last name: Vista. What a great name for a baby - Sierra Vista!

Be a part of launching Pantano Christian Church - Sierra Vista. We’ll have more ways you can be involved that we’ll talk about later.

Together to reach Southern Arizona and make the world different,

Glen

Jesus said in one of the great I AM statements in John 14:6 these words: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” So how do we act toward Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Tribals, etc. and how do we understand Jesus’ words?

Without any hesitation or apology, I believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and Savior of the world. I want, more than anything, for everyone in the whole world to know Jesus and follow Jesus. The Jesus I know loves ALL people. He welcomed everyone, especially the sinner and those who were outcasts of society. He did not come to be served, but to serve and welcome and invite and bless and embrace all people. Unfortunately, people rejected Jesus and his invitation to be loved and accepted.

I don’t buy the common belief that all religions are the same and it doesn’t matter what you believe. I follow Jesus because he is the way, the truth and the life who unconditionally loves everyone, even his enemies. I want to follow Jesus to do the same. So what about other religions?

Here, in shorthand form is how I approach the issue of “other religions.”
• All truth is God’s truth and in humility I can learn from other religions. However, I have not found them adequate to fully lead me to God my Father.
• My role is not to impose or force my faith to others, but to invite others to consider Jesus. I want everyone to follow Jesus. When that happens, God’s kingdom will fully come on earth.
• In my strong belief in Jesus I enter into respectful discussion and conversation with those who believe differently. Hate, disrespect and “better-than-you” arrogance is never a part of Christlikeness. I am never above anyone but I am called to be a servant who is “below” others.
• My first obligation is to follow Jesus which means to love all neighbors as myself. That does not require that I approve or agree with all they believe or do.
• My focus is to live like Jesus and share about Jesus. I know of no other way to the Father than through Jesus. But I also am not the judge of others. I am very aware that God’s saving power is not limited by my understandings.
• Finally, I don’t believe Jesus came to found a religion. So I have no need to defend or propagate a religion. Jesus came to bring God’s presence or kingdom to this world. That’s what I am about - showing people Jesus who can lead people to God’s presence and influence. I am about the Kingdom of God, not a religion or religion in general. In the end, it is ALL about Jesus.

Together to make the world different;

Glen

I’m not a gifted enough writer to express how proud I am of Pantano Christian Church - not the organization, but YOU! The unfortunate death of Officer Erik Hite offered our church an opportunity to serve our community. This is at the very heart of what God has called us to do - serve our city without strings attached! This week Pantano Christian Church served our city in a way that brought tears to my eyes on a number of occasions.

At Officer Hite’s funeral on Tuesday, we had at least 3000 people on our campus and most certainly more than that. There was no way to count. The auditorium and Towne Hall was packed as well as two other overflow rooms and more. Hundreds of police cruisers and motorcycles filled the parking lot. After the funeral we fed our community. The Governor, Mayor and all the major media where also on our campus. Logistically this was overwhelming.

I want to honor you for stepping up big time to love our city. Paul instructs the Roman church (12:11) to “Honor one another above yourselves.”  We were led by Tom Taylor and Roger Blumenthal. These guys went right into action and offered our facilities to Saguaro Canyon Evang. Free Church (our neighbor around the corner). Bob Sharpe and the kitchen ministry team stepped up like nothing you’ve seen. Our whole staff, our elders and many of you reported for duty at 7am on Tuesday to be available to serve however we could. Monday night a literal army of you came to help get the church building ready for this huge undertaking. The prayer team was on hand and were many others doing big and small acts of kindness.

Wow! I am so blessed and honored to serve with a church that puts others first without blinking an eye. Money was never an issue. Giving anything and everything away was never an issue. I have never been more proud of a congregation - living like Jesus would and serving like Jesus would.

We have received many verbal and written thank you expressions from our TPD officers. They were very grateful for how we served and honored them. Yes, they noticed how we care about our community.

At the end of Tuesday, exhausted like many of you, I realized that God was preparing us. Through our Disaster Action Team there may come a day when we’ll again transform our campus into a place to serve those displaced from their homes because of another tragedy. And someday, Lord willing, we’ll reach so many people that Tuesday would be our normal weekend experience - people coming not for a funeral, but celebrate life with Jesus.

Together to make a difference,

Glen

I became a follower of Jesus after I finished reading the “Sermon on the Mount” (chapters 5-7 of Matthew). These 3 chapters are the finest of Jesus’ teaching. I was so captured by his words I knew I wanted to follow him and be like him. I knew that he would show me the right way to live. That was the summer of 1970. 38 years ago I was missing! I found God. Actually, Jesus found me!

My passion today is to connect with those who are missing Jesus and whom Jesus misses. He loves and is reaching out to every person who has forgotten about him, gotten themselves in trouble and even decided he isn’t real. They just don’t know that Jesus misses them and therefore they keep missing Jesus. In innumerable ways, Jesus is inviting people to join him, experience his unconditional love and acceptance and follow him to the very best life possible.

I love Luke chapter 15 (please read it). It contains 3 stories (parables) about things that were missing or lost. The context was that the religious people were looking down on Jesus for hanging out with and welcoming “sinners.” So Jesus tells them these 3 phenomenal stories to help them understand that God is all about going after those who are missing. If one sheep out of a hundred is missing, Jesus would leave the 99 to go find the missing one. A woman will not give up looking for a missing coin in her house. A father waits and welcomes his missing and wandering son home. Jesus IS (not just wants to) going after every person he misses, but some just don’t even know how to recognize God’s grace that shows up everyday.

Jesus ends 2 of the 3 stories with the same refrain (so we won’t miss the point) - “”Rejoice! What was missing has been found. There is much rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents.” Nothing brings greater joy to God than someone who is missing to come home to him.

This is what I’m about. This is what we are about. We are about trying everything reasonable to help those who are missing to connect or re-connect with God. I will do everything I can to lead us to find those who are missing and free those in bondage. We start new services. Why? To provide a place for those missing from God’s family. We start new churches and sites. Why? To reach those who don’t even know that God misses them. We invest significant effort and dollars in missions. Why? To tell folks that God misses them and is inviting them to join him in a blessed life. We serve our city. Why? To let everyone know that God loves them and misses them.

Are our hearts in touch with the folks God misses? Are we thinking about those that are missing God? May our hearts beat with the passion of God which is focused on the MIA’s. We put on our Houghton road sign these words - “Welcome Home!” May that be the sign on our hearts.

Missing people that God misses,

Glen