Monday Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

I’m experimenting with breaking up my Mid-week Memo over a few days. Let me know what you think, one way or the other.

Great start to the “To Raise a Family” series this last weekend.We had quite a crowd, too. I think there was a lot of inviting to the meal going on. Keep it up!

I am so thankful for your prayers. Keep praying as this next weekend approaches.

Here are most of your comments, observations and questions from the weekend Communication Cards.

Love the Praise and Worship Leader’s voice! Wow! [We’ll be seeing a lot more of Jeremy. He’s joined our team of Worship Leaders who also include Dan Lukas (our Creative Arts Director) and Libby Johnson (who is a volunteer in our ministry). I think we have an incredible team of worship leaders, vocalists and musicians dedicated to helping people connect with God and engage in worship.]

Music today – wow! 

Love the “new look” for Five Oaks. Website, worship center, new sign on Radio (see it’s starting to be built)! I haven’t been to Five Oaks for several weeks (been traveling) so nice to be back with my church family today! Powerful message and worship! Thanks! [It all has to do with the presentation of the meal. Two new features this weekend were the staging and the “Basics” cards for guests in the Commons. Loved the stage set and how it spilled into the worship center using the sound panels. And, yes, the website is tremendous.]

Awesome praise team leader! 

Stage looks great! And smoke nice. Welcome Jeremy! Band excellent sound, was perfect.

Love the worship leader! 

Loved the sermon! Very insightful and very relevant. [Good to hear because it was a very theological sermon with very few how-to’s. One of the changes in my preaching (related to the meal) has been to focus more on implication rather than simply on application. I wanted to explore the implications of being made in the image of God from some angles I’ve never covered before. There truly is nothing more relevant that profound theological concepts. Theology doesn’t have to be dry. Stories, analogies and children’s books help a lot.:-)]

I love the artwork up front, beautiful.  [We’ve lived with the stripped down stage for quite a while, waiting for the right people and the right idea to come along. Thank you to Deb Carr for volunteering to head up this ministry and bringing this concept to fruition with the help of so many others who volunteered hours and hours of their time to make it happen.]

Great worship!

Very impactful message, Henry, and a great reminder as I continue to struggle in this area. However, I know my relationship with my Father has grown because of the Five Oaks Community. It takes a village not just for kids, but adults, too. [So true!]

Another moving time of worship. My prayer for this week: so teach my song to rise to You when temptation comes my way. And when I cannot stand, I’ll fall on you. Jesus you’re my hope and stay. Amen. Thank you for another powerful message from God Henry.

Thank you Pastor Henry for your transparency in your parenting. I can relate to some of the things you said and it’s good to know I’m not alone. 

It’s true – Five Oaks has been a HUGE part of my kids’ lives – thank you! [I get emotional whenever I think about all the folks around our church who impacted my kids. Pastor’s kids don’t always fare so well, and you guys have made a huge difference in their lives. So thankful!]

Henry, excellent reminder of where my priority needs to be – glorifying God. There couldn’t be a better example to set for my kids.

Absolutely beautiful new set! Gorgeous work. Worship team was most fabulous and intense. Loved it! Way to start my morning. 

New worship set looks great. Well done!

Excellent worship!

Great music. Very vivid illustration that Henry used!

Welcome Jeremy! Worship was awesome.

Thank you Henry for helping us become the parents that God wants us to be! Thank you worship team, awesome! 

The string art is a very modern touch – I love it! [Larry and Cathy Taylor had to put in over 1600 screws to make that happen. Deb Carr and Karin Ennulat did the strings. Harold Ennulat, Jessica Solinsky, Libby Johnson and Geoff Walsh put it all up and lit it all up.]

Well done Henry! Great service. Worship team was great.

What a fantastic worship set. Thanks folks. Henry, your preaching/messages has gotten so good, so powerful, so inspired. He IS driving your car, it’s easy to tell! Closing set was awesome!

Some children can be the change agent for their parent’s lives – it isn’t too late. [So true. That’s my story with my mom.]

The fog machine looked interesting, but may not be the best for people with allergy issues. My dry, itchy eyes did not appreciate one more irritant.

To the worship director: the music is great, but so loud – even with ear plugs, I had to step out.

Blessings,

Pastor Henry