watching newpointe live online

I was out of town Thursday thru Sunday for a wedding. Jenny and I visited her brother's church (a Vineyard branch) Sunday morning. But before leaving, I was able to watch NewPointe's 9 a.m. service live online. It was great. ALMOST like being there (well...really there's no substitution for the real thing...but this was the next best thing).

It worked great. Props to Dave Mast for making it happen. At it's peak during the 9 a.ma. service, 45 people were watching online. The stream also carries with it the ability to chat with others who are watching. It was fun chatting with people who were unable to attend or living out of state.

Here's the link to experience NewPointe live online: Watch/Listen Live.

another reason i love small groups

This evening I visited the home of a NewPointe family. They asked if I would come and anoint a family member with oil. She's going through a bout with cancer. She goes in for tests tomorrow. I showed up, brought a friend (because I like the idea of never doing ministry alone). Shortly after I arrived, the family told me that they had just called the people in their small group. And get this...they showed up within a matter of minutes.

We all laid hands on the woman--her immediate family and her small group family...and it was just so precious to hear the group members--her friends, pray for God's best for her. It blessed me. I anointed her with oil and we prayed hard. Then a flurry of hugs were shared all around the room.

I love seeing God's people in action. I love the fact that this woman was ministered to by her small group. God showed up in their living room tonight. I feel honored that God allowed me to be a part of it.

more ways to help miranda

Thanks, everyone, for praying for Miranda. She's home now, still healing from surgery. She's got a tough road ahead of her, but like I said in my last post about her, she really trusts God. And we know for sure that he's in control and he's going to take care of her.

Here's another way you can help: Miranda does not have health insurance. Several things have been put in place to help her financially. Here's one:

A pancake breakfast. April 12, 6 a.m to 11 a.m. ($3.50)
A spaghetti dinner. Also April 12, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. ($5)

There's also a 50/50 drawing and a silent auction during these events.

Location: Baltic American Legion.

If you want more info or if you want to help her financially, call 330-231-3614.

Let's flood the Baltic American Legion in support of Miranda on April 12.

easter @ newpointe--the visuals

Here's my absolute favorite (of course I'm biased, she's my kid)...

You just had to be there!

easter sunday's scuds (march 23, 2008)

Yesterday Dwight delivered a powerful message of hope. Here are the scuds:

• Your past can be forgiven.
• A past that hasn't been dealt with is present.
• Jesus was nailed to the cross so you and I can quit nailing ourselves to the cross.
• Your present problems can be managed.
• When we're free from guilt, condemnation, and shame, we no longer project it on to other people.
• The same power that raised Jesus from the dead can raise you above your problems.
• Your future can be secured.
• Though things may be outside of your control, they're not outside of God's control.
• Positive thinking, though good, cannot equip you to handle everything in your life.
• Only a fool would go through life unprepared for what he knows is inevitable (death).
• Everybody spends forever somewhere.
• There are two ways to make it to heaven: 1. be perfect (we've all already messed that one up), and 2. establish a relationship with Jesus Christ, the perfect One who's already paid your way to heaven.
• Some of us are here this morning because of tradition. Some are here because of an invitation. Why are you really here? God brought you here so he could get you this message: you matter to me.
• They only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ. There's no other way.

easter @ the 'pointe redux

What a great day at NewPointe. I hope you were able to be there. Here's a quick recap of the overall experience:

• Sand animation (very cool). What I like most about it is how it got people focused and drawn in to the worship experience.
• Worship set: Happy Day (don't know how you can sing that song and not be energized). Everything Glorious (how 'bout the DJ laying down a sweet beat underneath that one?). Beautiful the Blood (was that video on center screen amazing or what?)
• Dwight's message (strong as usual...a very clear explanation of what Easter is all about...I'll post the scuds tomorrow).
• The closing song: He Reigns. Brass, the DJ (again, he was off the hook), hip-hop dancers (the cutest one belongs to me). I think I counted at least 22 people on stage for that one. If you weren't awake when you arrived this morning, you were awake after that little number.

We'd been praying all week for at least 100 people to cross the line of faith and receive Christ today. It's hard to say how many did, but we know many prayed that prayer with Dwight. And that's the best news of the day!

Attendance-wise, if you're wondering: 3,450. That's a new NewPointe record.

Thanks to everyone who made Easter at NewPointe an unbelievable experience. Host teams, ushers, parking guys (that was a doozie today), the band, the dancers, the vocalists, the tech crew, Reign Forest and Velocity volunteers and staff, I could go on and on. It was just a great day all the way around.

If you want to read more about it, bump on over to Kevin's blog.

phrases i heard uttered in my home today

Andrew while bugging his older sister:
I can't make myself stop.

Natalie while instructing Andrew on football:
Try not to tackle yourself.

Andrew while reenacting a football play in slow-mo:
Okay, pretend I'm me.

Is your family weird, too?

overused words and phrases

I'll nominate these:

Git 'r done. Tired.

I'm like... ("and he was like, wait, and I was like go ahead, and everyone was like, well okay then")

Think outside the box. It would give you more credibility to use a different expression, or a different way to describe what you are looking for. " In other words, thinking outside the box is now thinking inside said box. Thinking outside the Bunn, now that, of course, is a different story.

Phone tag. I can absolutely count on the other person referring to phone tag if each of us has had to leave at least one voicemail.

Bling. Ahhhhh!

Any others?

more on easter @ the 'pointe

I sat in on the band rehearsal last night. Two and a half hours spent rehearsing ONE SONG. You'll know which song I'm talking about if you come Sunday.

Hang on to your seats...this ride's going to be thrilling.

easter at newpointe (sneak preview)

The band and vocalists are rehearsing right now in the big room. It's going to be an incredible day. Here's a sneak peek of some of what you'll experience at NewPointe this Sunday:

That's all I can reveal for now. You'll have to come Sunday to see the rest.

newpointe staff reductions

Pretty much the whole NewPointe staff has been on a weight-loss/get fit program for the past six weeks. In fact, we're having a contest to see which four-person team can lose the most weight. So far, my team (Jon Brown, Bill Tope, Jane Miller, and me) are dusting the competition having lost over 60 pounds between the four of us.

But get this...as a staff we've lost a total of 221 pounds. So basically we've lost the equivalent of one whole (larger-type) person. Since we're down one whole person, I'm putting in a request for a new hire. After all, who's picking up the slack for the person we're down now?

please pray for miranda

This is my friend Miranda...

This photo was taken in Egypt while shopping after doing ministry there last month. I visited Miranda in the hospital yesterday. She had surgery Thursday. During the surgery they found cancer. She's got a tough road ahead of her (including chemo). Please pray for her. She's a precious girl who's in love with Jesus. And right now she really needs our prayers. Thanks.

and you thought YOUR wife took a long time in the bathroom...

Read this story (click on headline): Woman sits on boyfriend's toilet for 2 years

(The boyfriend) told investigators he brought his girlfriend food and
water, and asked her every day to come out of the bathroom.

“And her reply would be, ‘Maybe tomorrow,”’ Whipple said. “According to
him, she did not want to leave the bathroom.”

By the way, check out the last name of the Ness County Sheriff. It's almost too funny to be true.

knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door...

Knockin' on Heaven's Door is NewPointe's after-Easter series. It's going to be amazing...Really. I'm as excited about this series as I have been for any series we've done at NewPointe.

It's a great series to invite friends to. We're going to answer questions like, what will heaven be like? What happens one minute after you die? What will we do in heaven? How do I get to heaven?

We believe heaven will be the most intense, amazing, joy-filled place ever. In the meantime we think church should be the most intense, amazing, joy-filled place on earth. Come to the 'Heaven' series and find what what I mean.

check out my new kicks

So I'm at my grandpa's funeral last week and in walks my nephew, Mitchell. Mitchell is 14 years old and about 6'3" tall. He had some pretty cool shoes on, so I say, "Mitchell, dude, I like your shoes."

Mitchell says, "Mom made me wear them...they're too small. My toes are crammed into them right now."

So I ask, "What size are they?"

He says, "11."

I ask, "What size do you wear?"

"12 and a half."

I say, "Dude, I wear 11's. I'll give you $20 for them right now."

So I've got a new pair of shoes...

oh so close...

Took the fam to watch the Ohio division 3 state championship game last night at the Schott. The Garaway Lady Pirates had an incredible season, going 24-3. Unfortunately one of the "3" was last night's game. The Pirates fought hard but in the end Versailles was just too big and too athletic. Congrats, though, to the Pirates on a GREAT season.

The pregame hype...

Team introductions...

Trophy presentations...

Andrew proudly declaring, "We're number two!"

The boys team is still in it...they play this weekend in Columbus. How cool is it that the Garaway boys and girls both made the final four?!

Also, congrats to the Hiland Lady Hawks...State champs again! Way to represent the IVC!

thinking outside the border

Within the past two days Thinking Outside the Bunn has received hits from:

• Greece
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Saudi Arabia
• Egypt
• Bulgaria
• Poland
• England
• Ireland
• Turkey

To all my international friends: send food! I love:

• Gyros
• Baklava
• Shawarma
• Baba Ganoush
• Um Ali
• Kunafa
• Kielbasa
• Sushi
• Tea
• and we always have TURKEY on Thanksgiving Day

ever wonder what goes on in newpointe staff meetings?

The other day, five of us gathered for a planning meeting. About fifteen minutes into the meeting, Dwight starts wincing and hollering. Apparently a sudden cramp developed in his leg (or hip, I'm not sure which). A couple of the other guys in the meeting showed great compassion asking Dwight if he was okay and if they could help in any way. Me? I quickly grabbed my camera phone and started snapping photos...

Here's a shot of Dwight shortly after the pain began...

The pain continues, with Dwight howling and doubling over on to the conference table...

This is the, I-can't-believe-you're-just-going-to-sit-there-and-take-pictures look from Dwight (while still clutching the injury)...

Man, it was funny!

my grandpa

My Grandpa, Hugh I. Bunn, passed away Sunday. He was 89. We're going to miss him but we know he's better off. As my dad put it, at 4:00 a.m. on Sunday, Grandpa walked (key word, walked) through the gates of pearl and met Jesus face to face. No more pain. No more discomfort. We're all glad for him.

The funeral was Wednesday. And it was a celebration. The reason we could celebrate is twofold. One, we celebrated because of the life he led. Grandpa was a great guy. And he loved the Lord. And that's the second reason we could celebrate: We're not wondering where he's spending eternity. We know where he is because he had a personal relationship with Jesus.

Here are a few memories of Grandpa that will cherish:

• Going to his house as a kid to spend the night. Grandpa's place was awesome. Everything a kid could want: an in-ground swimming pool, woods to explore, a playground on the other side of the woods, and of course, Grandpa and Grandma.


• Grandpa took me to a fireworks show after I had misbehaved badly one day. He told me I better not tell my parents about it.


• Christmastime carried huge family tradition with it. Every Christmas Eve the entire family would gather at their home for a wild times. Two things highlighted every Christmas Eve: 1. Grandpa posing as Santa Clause outside, ringing a bell and leaving a big bag of presents on the front porch. It was so exciting. 2. The Chicken Dance. The entire family would cluck and scratch around the room to a very cool chicken rendition of In The Mood. This was usually capped off by Grandma laying an egg by the Christmas tree. Fun times.


• One time, after posing as Santa and delivering the gifts, Grandpa got locked outside of the house and couldn't get back in. We were all just yucking it up, having a good time, opening gifts and apparently didn't miss him. He stood outside in the freezing cold until it occurred to somebody, "Where's Grandpa?"


• The spread of food was always amazing at Christmas. Grandpa was a great cook.


• Grandpa was also a world-class eater. I always said, "If eating was an Olympic event, he'd take home the gold."


• Grandpa really enjoyed life. He knew how to have fun.


• As newlyweds, Jenny and I often visited Grandpa at his home on Lake Cumberland. We'd spend hours and hours on the lake, swimming and water skiing. In fact, he's the one who taught me how to water ski.


• I could go on, but one of my fondest memories will be from this past November. My dad had a revival at his church and invited my brother-in-law, my uncle, and myself (all pastors) to preach. On the first night of revival, Grandpa sat in the front row (as usual). During prayer time, Dad opened the altar to anyone who wanted to come forward to pray. Grandpa, 89 years old, with four hip replacement surgeries, basically crawled to the altar and knelt to pray. He just wanted to be close to God.
  

I love my Grandpa. I'll miss him. But I know I'll see him again one day.

this pic is of my Grandpa and my sister celebrating their birthdays during the revival weekend last November

how is the date for easter set?

Here's some interesting information my friend Jack W. sent me.

Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.

Based on the above, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) but that is pretty rare.

Here's the interesting info: This year is the earliest Easter most of us will ever see. Only the most elderly (95 or older) of our population have seen it this early and none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! Here's the facts:

1) The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913, so if you're 95 or older you were around for that.

2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year!

So as long as we're talking Easter, here's some other information worth noting: NewPointe's Easter service times are 8:15, 9:30, and 11:00 a.m. And, as you would expect, there will be some pretty amazing things happening. It's a great time to bring your family and friends to an Easter experience that will blow them away. See you there.

the return of bubba joe

It's been a while since good ol' Bubba Joe has been in KidStuf. Sunday he was back...and up to his usual shenanigans.

Here's an email about Bubba Joe I received this morning:

Dear John,

You will think this is funny. Yesterday morning before Kids Stuff you were dressed as Bubba and you walked past my daughter and you were standing beside her talking to Dana, I think one of the volunteers. She kept yelling Bubba, Bubba, then finally you turned and gave her a high five. She turned to me and said, "Mom, Bubba gave me high five!" I said, "Cool, do you know what that means? That means Bubba's going to be in Kids Stuff today."

She was like yea...Well then of course you were in kids stuff. It was funny...Well then after church you were back in your regular clothes not Bubba. I told her, "Look, there's Bubba." She said, "Where? I said, "Right there, that's the guy that plays Bubba." She said, "No it isn't." I said, "Yes it is." She said, "No it's not he's better looking and his teeth aren't rotten..."

Since when do people think I'm Bubba Joe? Bubba is Bubba. He just hasn't been in church lately.

sunday's scuds (march 2, 2008)

We're continuing the REEL NEWPOINTE series. We've been taking a look at each of our seven values each week. This week's value: Vital Service. Here are the scuds:

Dwight began by reading a note he received recently. Here's what he read:

I just want u 2 know, I'm 5 months sober, been thru hell, but God has blessed me and I feel the Spirit here at NewPointe. I never dreamed that I'd get back into church, especially one this large (I suffer panic attacks in large groups, yet here I sit in a large crowd). I've died twice (suicide attempts) yet Jesus spared my life and I'm so grateful to be here and look forward to giving my testimony - to give hope to others who are suffering. I love NewPointe.

• We don't want to be just another church. We have an agenda. The agenda is this: to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
• We've become spiritually obese, spiritual porkers. Because of that, the church is dying. For that to change, we've got to begin serving.
• The definition of Vital Service: engaging your heart and your hands in the most vital area for you serve God through serving at NewPointe.
• God does not want you to be a reservoir. He wants you to be a river.
• We've made the mistake of thinking listening to teaching makes us go deeper. It's serving that takes you deeper than anything else.
• You cannot remain where you are with God and do what he wants you to do.
• Jesus gave hope and life to everyone he came in contact with. You and I are called to do the same.
• I challenge you to pay it forward...just as hundreds of people have paid it forward for you, you can pay it forward for hundreds of others.