>>Six Months Later...

I have a vision! I have a dream! Not the kind of vision some might think where you hear voices, levitate, walk through space, move through time surrounded by fog or smoke. In fact, I have never had one of those and when I do, call me crazy, but I will have lost it totally! The kind of vision and dream I have is seeing beyond the horizon to the heart of God. Through prayer, study, seeking the will of God, worship, and spiritual intuitiveness
I have envisioned what God wants to happen in and through NorthStar. This vision began developing a few years ago and began to grow stronger and clearer just over a year ago. I see God's hand in my life over the past several years preparing me for the vision He was giving me. He used people , His Word, my studies, and life experiences to shape this vision. Okay, Okay already! What is your vision?My vision is for there to be a church that functions much like the church in the New Testament. The N.T. church had a passion to come together to worship in a way that was relevant to their culture. I doubt seriously they had a pipe organ or an electric guitar. They just came with a strong sense of urgency to worship the creator of the universe. Some say as they came to church there would be over twenty thousand worshipers in the 10:30 (not sure what time) morning service at the temple courts (worship center). They would then break up into small groups, go to individual homes, eat, fellowship, study, serve, worship, and reach out to others together. Incredible! This is what we are doing at NorthStar!My vision goes beyond the warehouse that we are using as a church building.
I envision that in the years to come, God is going to provide us with property where we can take root and grow to an even greater level doing even greater things for the Lord.
I envision while we are still in our current building, expanding to additional services to accommodate the numbers of people that will be coming. As I teach in Discovering NorthStar 101, we can not let the shoe tell the foot how big it can get.
I envision the people of NSC inviting their friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers to be a part of what God is doing here.I envision multitudes of people plugging into small groups that will meet literally around the region. Small groups are where people can grow deeper with God while growing closer with one another. There is no way for everyone to know everybody, especially in a church the size of NorthStar. Therefore, it is important to get into a small group to experience the kind of fellowship God created us to enjoy.
I envision people driving on to our campus and actually sensing the presence of God through the smiles of the parking lot team, greeters, and leadership.
I envision people meeting Christ and connecting in the body of Christ. I envision people following Christ in obedience and connecting with His plan for their lives.
I envision NSC being a world mission strategy center with people going out at different times of the year to do home and foreign missions.
I envision NSC being a ministry focused church and actually being the hands and feet of Christ in our community, city, and county.
I envision NSC being a church planting resource center, and I envision NSC planting her first church by the end of our third year.
I envision students growing and reaching their friends for Christ.
I envision college and career ministry reaching people on campus and in the work place.I envision a children’s ministry that is cutting edge and life-changing, causing parents to say "I want my child a part of this ministry."
I envision worship that uses creativity and relevance to reach not only this generation but the ones to come. These things are not just wishful thinking or dreams that are beyond reality. In fact, we are already seeing these things come to pass in all of these areas. With the commitment to excellence, we are already seeing lives changed and people added to the kingdom. Often people ask me, "Would you have dreamed a year ago there would be so many people coming to NSC, etc?" Some are surprised by my answer. I did dream this! I believe the next six months are going to be even greater than the first. I am so glad you are a part of this vision, and I am thankful for the way God is using you to grow the kingdom for His glory.

>>His Love Is Indescribable

His Love Is Indescribable
Wow! These past weeks have been indescribable as we have seen new people present each Sunday and as God has done an incredible work among us. I am so thankful to be part of such a move of God in our area. Someone asked me the other day: "Could you have imagined this happening nine months ago?" The answer is: I have not only imagined what is happening now but even beyond. That is why I feel so amazed and blessed at seeing these things of God unfold. In reality, it is even greater than I imagined, and the days to come are going to be awesome as God continues to do His work in and through His people. It is one thing to envision there being a church like NorthStar, but it is another thing to actually see in come to fruition. Rick Warren said: "Dream big dreams." I have a dream of God using NorthStar Church as a regional center of worship, evangelism, missions, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and church planting.
Adding To Our Building
The 3600 square feet addition to our building is going well. We are adding a new children's worship room almost twice the size of our existing one. Along with this we are adding two smaller rooms adjoining this room that will be used for small group time. In addition to these rooms we are adding two preschool rooms for our growing needs. This past week we were blessed to add our kitchenette and wash area for our baby room. Please pray for God to supply our needs as we prepare to buy the tables and chairs needed for these rooms.
Lives Are Being Changed!
We are seeing homes mended, souls saved, commitments deepened, hurts healed, excitement restored, lives yielded, maturity increased, ministries begun, evangelism implemented, worship flourishing, and fellowship among His people. Wow! Isn't God great! We baptized five in August and will be baptizing later this month. Someone said to me the other day: “You guys are doing a great job." The reality is that God is moving and working. This is all about Him, and we are simply trying to be willing for Him to use us in any possible way. No, we are not perfect, but we serve someone who is perfect and we are trying to be sensitive to His will and way. To God be the glory. Paul said: "to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:21 (NIV)
Small Groups Have Launched.
With great enthusiasm our small group launch was super. Already our small groups are growing, and people are joining each week. I really feel that small groups are going to take our church to another level. In each of our small groups, we are emphasizing and living out the five purposes of our church. These purposes are: Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Ministry, and Evangelism. It is going to be astonishing as we see the impact our small groups will have in the days to come. It is in the small group setting we grow closer to one another and we are able to minister to the needs of one another better. If you have not joined a small group, there is one just for you.
In Closing.
Please take a moment today to remember the families of those who lost loved ones during the great national tragedy of September 11 , 2001. Please pray for peace and pray that the love of Jesus Christ could be seen daily through your life. Please pray that we could make a difference in this world through our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Thank You
I want to thank you for the part you are playing in seeing the Kingdom of God expand in and through NorthStar Church. Thank you for giving your time, resources, ideas, money, willingness, prayer support ,and encouragement as God grows this church. Thank you.

>>Dive On In

Awesome...just one of many words to describe what God is doing at NorthStar. Each week I am amazed at how God reveals Himself to the people at NSC.
“Dive On In”
We have children in every nook and cranny of our building. The NSC children's ministry is so exciting, I would kind of like to attend and get in on what's going on. We are steadily seeing our student ministry grow and reach students from all around our area. Our Career and College ministry called The Refuge had a record high of 31 people a couple of weeks ago. Since the last blog, many have given time and resources to do work in and around our facilities. (Cleaning, yard work, setting up chairs, weekly preparation, improvements, etc.) There are so many who have been involved in the various ministry projects at NSC. World Changers, Fourth of July at Ballard Park (Diaper Changing Station and Lost and Found), and manning the booth at the Winds of Worship Concert are just a few of the ways people have been involved. The NSC praise band, Three Days Journey, has both the privilege and blessing of opening the Jeremy Camp Concert Sunday night, July 16 at the BancorpSouth Center.
“Dive On In”
We have one college student working at a Christian camp in Central Mississippi and two others working at Super Summer. We have one young adult lady who spent two weeks on the foreign mission field and is currently in New York with the North American Mission Board on a four week trip. Later in July, NSC has a team of four going on a mission trip to the Philippines for two weeks. These really are exciting days for NSC.
“Dive On In”
The Wednesday night services have been great as we have been doing the study, Your Church Experiencing God Together. The small group time at the conclusion of these studies has been great. Our small groups will launch the week of August 20 and we have already had a small group leader training.
“Dive On In”
We are about to expand. The owner of our building is about to add about 3000 square feet of space that will be used in our student and children’s ministry.
“Dive On In”
God really moves in our services each week, and for all these things we give Him the praise. If you have not attended NorthStar Church, now would be a great time to “Dive On In” and experience what God is doing. If you are an attender, we are glad you are here, and we are glad you took the dive!

>>Our First Six Weeks

It seems like only yesterday that we had our first service at NorthStar, and now we are six weeks into the journey. These have been some incredible days in my life and in the lives of others at NSC. We have seen people each week give their lives to Christ and countless others whose lives have been changed. I stand in awe of the way God has put everything together and how He has made the way for what He has called us to do. For those who have been working and leading, these have been really intense days. So many have done so much in order that the building is ready each week while construction has been underway. There have not been any dull moments in anything or in any way. We have celebrated baptism twice and have had some incredible times of worship. Our children's ministry is overflowing with music, work, fun, and of course, children. God has been so faithful to provide us with chairs to sit in, though they are borrowed. We are thankful for each one of them. Both our College & Career and Student ministry has kicked off in a strong way. Ministry teams have been formed and are beginning to function. The list goes on and on. I want to thank God for making all of this possible. I want to thank all the workers who have worked tirelessly for His glory. I want to thank those who have given so much of themselves. I want to thank each person who has attended for the impact of their presence in the services. We truly have so much to be thankful for as God has multiplied His blessing immeasurably. I know the weeks to come are going to be as incredible as the previous ones. If you are new to this journey, come expecting to be blessed, used of God, and a part of something greater than ourselves.
In Him,
T